Abishek Bommannan SanthakumarCharles Sturt University · School of Biomedical Sciences
Abishek Bommannan Santhakumar
BMedSc, MMedSc, GCTE, PhD
About
68
Publications
17,514
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1,305
Citations
Citations since 2017
Introduction
Abishek Santhakumar is a Senior Lecturer and Researcher in Haematology at the School of Biomedical Sciences, Charles Sturt University, NSW, Australia. His research interest is to get cogent evidence on the potential of natural dietary antioxidants in reducing risk factors of the metabolic syndrome.
Additional affiliations
August 2016 - present
ARC ITTC for Functional Grains
Position
- Discipline Leader - Health
August 2016 - present
November 2014 - July 2016
Education
March 2011 - August 2014
February 2009 - February 2011
November 2003 - May 2008
Publications
Publications (68)
Platelet dysfunction, oxidative stress and dyslipidemia are important contributors to pro-thrombotic progression particularly in obese and hyper-cholesterolemic populations. Becoming an increasingly widespread endemic, obesity causes a dysfunction in the metabolic system by initiating endothelial dysfunction; increasing free radical production; lip...
Polyphenol-rich fruit and vegetable intake has been associated with reduction in platelet hyperactivity, a significant contributor to thrombus formation. This study was undertaken to investigate the possible role of hippuric acid, a predominant metabolite of plant cyclic polyols, phenolic acids and polyphenols, in reduction of platelet activation-r...
The anti-thrombotic properties of an anthocyanin-rich Queen Garnet plum juice (QGPJ) and anthocyanin-free prune juice (PJ) were studied in this randomised, double-blind, crossover trial. Twenty-one healthy subjects (M = 10, F = 11) consumed QGPJ, PJ or placebo, 200 mL/day for 28-days followed by a 2-week wash-out period. Only QGPJ supplementation i...
Dietary sources of polyphenols, which are derivatives and/or isomers of flavones, isoflavones, flavonols, catechins and phenolic acids, possess antioxidant properties and therefore might be important in preventing oxidative-stress-induced platelet activation and attenuating adverse haemostatic function. Free radicals, including reactive oxygen and...
Chickpea is an essential legume, a staple food in many cultures and contains nutrients with potential health benefits. The chickpea water (CPW) leached out after cooking is usually discarded, which may potentially have significant anti-cancer and other health beneficial properties. This study compared the in-vitro bioactivity of CPW with chickpea p...
The Digital Agrifood Summit 2022 is an up-close and practical look at the digital trends and technologies transforming Australian agriculture.
I presented on the added value and anti-cancer benefits from sorghum processing techniques such as cooking and fermentation.
Reduced bioavailability of nitric oxide along with an increase in inflammatory cytokines, reactive oxygen species, cell adhesion molecules, and platelet hyperactivity are underlying causes of endothelial dysfunction. Bioactive peptides derived from various plants have been shown to attenuate biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction. The objective of t...
Cereal bioactive compounds, especially polyphenols, are known to possess a wide range of disease preventive properties that are attributed to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. However, due to their low plasma concentrations after oral intake, there is controversy regarding their therapeutic benefits in vivo. Within the gastrointesti...
3MT is a competition where doctoral students explain their research in no more than 3 minutes to a lay audience.
Runner up at the CSU 3MT in 2021.
Inflammation and oxidative stress are the primary underlying causes of several chronic inflammatory diseases. Dietary polyphenols have been demonstrated to possess anti-inflammatory and antioxidant potential. This study aims to determine if chickpea hull phenolic extracts (CHPE) can modulate biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress in RAW 26...
The potency of phenolic rich black sorghum extract to inhibit platelet function was tested on ex vivo on blood taken from human volunteers. Significant reductions in platelet activation and microparticle generation were observed at doses of 40μg/mL
Background and objectives
Phenolic compounds present in rice have substantial antioxidant activity, which has contributed to its potential as a functional food. However, a gap in knowledge exists on how phenolic compounds in rice respond to variation in growing conditions, and the subsequent impact on their antioxidant activity. The current study i...
Oxidative stress and inflammation are known to be linked to the development of chronic inflammatory conditions, such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Dietary polyphenols have been demonstrated to contain potent bioactivity against specific inflammatory pathways. Rice bran (RB), a by-product generated during the rice milling process, i...
Oxidative stress is known to modulate insulin secretion and initiate gene alterations resulting in impairment of β-cell function and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Rice bran (RB) phenolic extracts contain bioactive properties that may target metabolic pathways associated with the pathogenesis of T2DM. This study aimed to examine the effect of sta...
Platelet hyper-activation and platelet microparticles (PMPs) play a key role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases. Dietary polyphenols are believed to mimic antiplatelet agents by blunting platelet activation receptors via its antioxidant phenomenon. However, there is limited information on the anti-platelet activity of grain-derived poly...
Glucose-induced oxidative stress is associated with the overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which may dysregulate the expression of genes controlling insulin secretion leading to β-cell dysfunction, a hallmark of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This study investigated the impact of coloured rice phenolic extracts (CRPEs) on the expres...
Background and objectives
Barley and oat grains in addition to beta‐glucan contain antioxidant phytochemicals such as phenolic compounds that have health beneficial properties. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of growing location on the composition of phenolic compounds and its antioxidant activity in barley and oats. Barley vari...
Digital learning has gained a lot of attention over the recent years and is increasingly being utilised as a substitute for both distance education and face-to face learning activities. This chapter initially defines and briefly discusses the advantages and disadvantages of digital learning. With the advancement in technology, there are various dig...
Platelets and platelet microparticles (PMPs) play a key role in the pathophysiology of vascular disorders such as coronary artery disease and stroke. In atherosclerosis, for example, the disruption of the plaque exposes endogenous agonists such as collagen, which activates platelets. Platelet hyper-activation and the high levels of PMPs generated i...
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a complex metabolic disorder with various contributing factors including genetics, epigenetics, environment and lifestyle such as diet. The hallmarks of T2DM are insulin deficiency (also referred to as β-cell dysfunction) and insulin resistance. Robust evidence suggests that the major mechanism driving impaired β-...
Rice bran (RB), a by‐product of the rice milling process is known to be a rich source of bioactive phytochemicals. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of RB stabilisation treatments, usually applied to inhibit rancidification, on its phenolic composition and antioxidant activity. Total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant assays were perfo...
The development of these lifestyle diseases in obese populations has been attributed to higher levels of inflammation and free radical mediated oxidative stress. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of polyphenols...
The pathogenesis of lifestyle diseases has been significantly correlated to high levels of oxidative stress and pro-inflammation. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of polyphenols in coloured rice varieties could have...
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are two chronic diseases that have claimed more lives globally than any other disease. Dietary supplementation of functional foods containing bioactive compounds is recognised to result in improvements in free-radical-mediated oxidative stress. Emerging evidence indicates that bioacti...
Oxidative stress, inflammation and endothelial dysfunction are associated with the development of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Phenolic extracts derived from rice bran (RB) are recognised to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the abil...
Oxidative stress is one of the primary factors leading to endothelial dysfunction, a major underlying cause of vascular disorders. This study aims to understand the key signalling pathways regulated by sorghum (Shawaya short black 1 variety; characterised to be very high in its antioxidant activity) under oxidative stress in endothelial cells. Huma...
Chickpea extracts ability to induce apoptosis was analysed using the APOPercentage assay.
Cereal phenolic extracts have previously been investigated for their potential anticancer properties; however, the exact mechanisms involved in the inhibition of tumour growth are unclear. One possible mechanism is the induction of apoptosis which is characterised by cell shrinkage, protein fragmentation, and DNA degradation followed by rapid engul...
Background and objectives
Phenolic compounds present in oats provide an opportunity for oats to increase its use in the form of functional food. In this study, eight varieties of Australian‐grown whole‐grain oat were investigated for their phenolic composition and antioxidant potential. Ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography–online 2,2′‐azino...
Platelets are blood components that play an important role in haemostasis. Some conditions particularly cardiovascular diseases may result in a disruption in haemostasis and increase the risk of thrombosis. In such cases the inhibition of the platelet function using antiplatelet agents such as aspirin is often used as an intervention. However, due...
Background: The current incidence of obesity and type 2 diabetes is at global epidemic levels. To mitigate their impact, there is a need to develop starch-containing foods that give rise to a low and stable postprandial blood glucose response by increasing the proportion of slowly-digestible and indigestible carbohydrate content. Rice is an ideal t...
Scope
Endothelial dysfunction pathogenesis is significantly associated with increased oxidative stress (OS) and inflammation. Rice‐derived phenolic compounds have been demonstrated to have antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory potential. This study aimed to determine if phenolic extracts (PE) from pigmented rice varieties (Purple, Yunlu29 – red and Rei...
Global obesity rates are of epidemic proportion. Anti-obesity treatments are in high demand and many have adverse side effects. Obese populations have higher levels of inflammation and oxidative stress. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of polyphenols in coloured rice varieties could have potential to neutralize oxidative stress and...
Rice-derived polyphenols have been demonstrated to alleviate obesity-related oxidative stress and inflammation. The aim of the study was to investigate if coloured rice polyphenol extracts (PE) reduce malondialdehyde, interleukin-6 and tumour necrosis factor- (TNF-) levels in obese individual’s ex vivo. Malondialdehyde and pro-inflammatory cytokine...
Previous studies suggest that pulses may have the potential to protect against cancer development by inhibiting pathways that result in the development of cancer. These pathways include those that result in inflammation, DNA damage, cell proliferation, and metastasis. Other studies have demonstrated extracts from pulses have the capacity to induce...
It has been identified that diet is one of the major contributing factors associated with the development of cancer and other chronic pathologies. In the recent years, supplementing regular diet with food and/or its components that contain chemopreventive properties has been considered an effective approach in reducing the incidence of cancer and o...
Background and objective
Phenolic compounds found in cereals have been shown to possess antioxidant activity that has ensued an increased interest in their health beneficial properties. This review analysed studies investigating the phenolic content of rice, barley, oats and sorghum grown in different geographical locations and the effect environme...
Abstract The purpose of the study was to assess the effects of anthocyanin-rich Queen Garnet plum juice (QGPJ) on body weight and expression of leptin and adiponectin. Queen Garnet plum is a Japanese plum (Prunus salicina) cultivar developed through a Queensland Government breeding program with very high levels of anthocyanins (272 mg/100 g). Twent...
The polyphenol composition and antioxidant activity of seven Australian-grown barley varieties were
characterized in this study. UHPLC with an online ABTS system was used to identify individual polyphenols while simultaneously measuring their antioxidant activity. The Q-TOF LC/MS system was utilized to identify the phenolic compounds that demonstr...
Coloured rice is rich in polyphenols and has been shown to have significant antioxidant and anti-adipogenic potential. The study aimed to investigate the anti-adipogenic properties of polyphenol extract (PE) derived from Australian-grown rice varieties. Eight wholegrain pigmented rice varieties were screened for their polyphenol content and antioxi...
This poster details that polyphenols from Australian-grown rice inhibit C3H10T1/2 fibroblastic stem cells from differentiating into adipocytes in a pro-adipogenic environment.
Global obesity rates are of epidemic proportion, with limited treatments available there is a large demand for therapeutic alternatives. Polyphenols derived from colored rice varieties may serve as a potential functional food alternative in combating obesity and obesity-related diseases. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of polypheno...
Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that nutritional habits, like those based on high consumption of fruits and vegetables, have been associated with a longer life expectancy and a significant decrease in the incidence and prevalence of several chronic diseases with inflammatory basis, such as cardiovascular diseases (CVD). This beneficial ac...
The aim of this study was to profile the polyphenol composition and antioxidant activity of 8 Australian-grown rice varieties. UHPLC with an online ABTS system was used to identify and quantify individual polyphenols present in the rice extract whilst simultaneously measuring their respective antioxidant activity. In addition, the synergistic antio...
The aim of this study was to profile the polyphenol composition and antioxidant activity of 8 Australian-grown rice varieties. UHPLC with an online ABTS system was used to identify and quantify individual polyphenols present in the rice extract whilst simultaneously measuring their respective antioxidant activity. In addition, the synergistic antio...
Virtual microscopy is a method by which real-time microscopic illustrations get transmitted digitally via computer networks. There is increasing evidence to suggest that virtual microscopy combined with other didactic methods in teaching make significant improvements in student interaction and curiosity in histopathology and haematology teaching. T...
The anti-thrombotic properties of anthocyanin (ACN) supplementation was evaluated in this randomised, double-blind, placebo (PBO) controlled, cross-over design, dietary intervention trial in sedentary population. In all, sixteen participants (three males and thirteen females) consumed ACN (320 mg/d) or PBO capsules for 28 d followed by a 2-week was...
Gilbert's syndrome (GS) is associated with a mild unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia, increased circulating antioxidant capacity, and reduced cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. The current study investigated whether mildly elevated circulating unconjugated bilirubin (UCB) is negatively associated with multiple thrombotic risk factors including platele...
The aim was to evaluate the effect of anthocyanin (ACN) supplementation in reducing thrombogenesis and maintaining hemostasis in pro-thrombotic overweight and obese individuals. Twenty-six (M = 9, F = 17) overweight/obese (BMI > 25) individuals participated in this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover design dietary intervention...
In the recent years, there has been a great deal of attention in investigating the disease preventive properties of functional foods. Particularly, impact of the antioxidant property of functional foods in reducing the risk or progression of chronic diseases has gained considerable interest amongst researchers and practitioners. Free radicals such...
Objectives:
Heavy vehicle transport workers have a high risk of obesity and obesity-related disorders including cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Sedentary nature of their work makes a healthy work and lifestyle balance difficult to achieve. Educational interventions that promote behavioral changes have been shown to be effective in various gro...
This ex vivo study was performed to evaluate the anti-platelet and anti-thrombogenic potential of shikimic acid (SA), a plant phenolic metabolite. Fasting blood samples were collected from 22 sedentary participants to analyse the effect of varying concentrations of SA (0.1 mM, 0.2 mM, 0.5 mM, 1 mM and 2 mM) on platelet surface-marker expression, pl...
In the recent years, there has been a great deal of attention in investigating the disease preventive properties of functional foods. Particularly, impact of the antioxidant property of functional foods in reducing the risk or progression of chronic diseases has gained considerable interest amongst researchers and practitioners. Free radicals such...
Dietary sources of polyphenols, which are derivatives and/or isomers of flavones, isoflavones, flavonols, catechins and phenolic acids, possess antioxidant properties and therefore might be important in preventing oxidative‐stress‐induced platelet activation and attenuating adverse haemostatic function. Free radicals, including reactive oxygen and...
Several studies have shown the deleterious effects of energy drinks, containing taurine and caffeine, on cardiac
health. This study aimed to examine synergistic effect of taurine and caffeine on platelets and haemostasis
because platelet hyperactivity is a known predictor of cardiovascular diseases. Blood from twelve healthy
volunteers aged 18 – 60...
Taurine, 2-aminoethanesulphonic acid is a common ingredient of energy drinks which is very popular with young adults. Taurine in energy drinks is known to enhance muscular performance in athletes. However, caffeine in high concentrations as found in most energy drinks have also been implicated to play an adverse role leading to cardiovascular disea...
Projects
Projects (11)
Evaluate the bioaccessibility and pharmacokinetics of polyphenols in coloured grains. Also investigating the impact of the polyphenol extracts on gastrointestinal health.
The aim of the project is to determine whether hemp seed protein hydrolysates can attenuate markers related to endothelial dysfunction.
Dear Colleagues,
Polyphenols are dietary micronutrients that have been demonstrated to play an important role in alleviating risk factors associated with several chronic conditions, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. Nevertheless, the extent of their impact on disease-related biological/mechanistic pathways in vivo is strongly correlated to their bioavailability and bioactivity. Due to the rapid elimination, high metabolic rate, and poor intestinal absorption of polyphenols, a clear understanding of their bioavailability is essential to validate their health claims. This Special Issue is open to submissions that explore the bioavailability and/or bio-accessibility of polyphenols through in vitro, ex vivo, or in vivo clinical trials; as well as studies examining the bioactivity of polyphenols that target specific mechanistic pathways of inflammation and oxidative stress. Literature reviews, including systematic quantitative reviews, are welcomed.
Dr. Abishek Santhakumar
Prof. Dr. José M. Álvarez-Suarez
Guest Editors
https://www.mdpi.com/journal/foods/special_issues/dietary_polyphenols