Indonesian researcher Ir Sumardi Msc claimed that he invented anti-bird flu ingredients, whose effectiveness had been proven at the Veterinary Center of the Agriculture Ministry in Yogyakarta, official news agency Antara reported on Sunday.

Msc said that the anti-bird flu ingredients were obtained from herbal extracts that had been marketed in some areas of East Java in limited volume.

Sumardi, a lecturer at the Food Technology Faculty of Soegijapranata University in Semarang, said that at least 50 percent of 12 chickens facing about 4 million bird flu viruses in the first stage of the clinical test, survived after being given the herbal extracts.

"The herbal extracts turned out to be effective to counter bird flu virus if they were administered to healthy chickens," he said, adding that he will apply for a patent for his invention.

Next week, Sumardi is scheduled to meet with the Agriculture Minister after reporting his invention to the Central Java governor.

His invention will be a piece of good news to animal breeding farmers after a number of people and thousands of chickens in Indonesia had died after being infected with avian flu, Antara said.

Source: Xinhua