Peluang Tempe Sebagai Superfood: Penelitian 2026

Theodorus Eko Pramudito, Ph.D, a candidate in Food Chemical Group at Wageningen University and Research, discussed the mechanism of diarrhea caused by Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), a bacterium that attaches to the intestinal mucosa. He conducted research on the ability of tempeh as a fermentation food containing bioactive carbohydrates to act as an analog receptor that can inhibit ETEC adhesion. Theodorus explained that ETEC adheres to the mucosal surface and then produces enzymes that degrade the protective layer of the intestine, which is a prerequisite for diarrhea to occur. In his study, he isolated four lactic acid bacteria strains from tempeh and soybean soaking water, identifying two best strains, Leuconostoc mesenteroides LMWA and LMWN, which produce exopolysaccharides (EPS) with a variety of molecular sizes. EPS are complex carbohydrate polymers found in various environments that play a crucial role in anti-adhesion activity against pathogens. When these strains are used in tempeh fermentation, the resulting product shows higher ability in inhibiting ETEC adhesion. The control tempeh had an inhibition rate of about 60 percent, while tempeh supplemented with LMWA and LMWN reached 80-90 percent. The extract from tempeh supplemented with lactic acid bacteria can better inhibit ETEC adhesion. This indicates that supplementation with EPS-producing bacteria can enhance the anti-diarrheal potential of tempeh.

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