Pharmacy students of the University of Costa Rica (UCR) developed a “shot” made with honey and watermelon which seeks to enable diabetic people and athletes to stabilize blood glucose levels in the event of a hypoglycemic crisis (drastic drop in sugar level).
“Glucem” is the product name that five young people presented at the Proin Farma 2021 event, where students presented creations with great potential in the pharmacological world.
“Glucem is a hyperglycemic shot based on honey and watermelon that, in the event of a hypoglycemic crisis, and in approximately 15 minutes, can stabilize the person’s blood sugar level,” said student Johanna Rodríguez.
100% Costa Rican
The students explained that, although there are already similar products on the market, this idea presents “three important differentiating elements: it is based on natural products, its origin is 100% Costa Rican and it has a different formulation than those currently offered.”
The idea is that with only 50 milliliters the shot will normalize the person with an exact and specific dose of carbohydrates. The purpose is that, “it is absorbed quickly by the body and helps to achieve a hyperglycemic effect in the shortest possible time.”
“We propose” Glucem “for healthy adults or people with a disease who usually carry out activities with great energy demand. But it could also be used by diabetic people as an emergency kit in cases where they experience hypoglycemia, so it is also a good option for these patients”, commented the team.
As they explained, the idea was born because “glucose reserves in some people can drop drastically for various reasons. One is due to the large energy expenditure at the time of moderate or intense physical activity”.
Proin Farma 2021 intense physical activity”
The development was conceived by Ariana Zelada, Emily Castro, Ariana Hidalgo, Johanna Rodríguez and Stephanie Morera, and is one of the four novelties shown by the students of the Innovation Management course at the ProinFarma 2021 event.
Additionally, an ultra-thin patch was also presented that seeks to contribute to the rapid disappearance of pimples on the skin, a spray based on natural products that seeks to help against insect bites and a colored nail polish based on essential oils of plants. The UCR explained that the specific components of each of the innovations will not be revealed until an investor is found and the patent is obtained.
