Chibuike Udenigwe

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• PhD
• Full Professor & University Research Chair at University of Ottawa

Heightened awareness of the global epidemic of type 2 diabetes mellitus is driving research into new therapeutic and lifestyle interventions. Food-derived bioactive compounds mimicking the effects of incretin therapies offer...

Self-assembling peptides are rapidly gaining attention as novel biomaterials for food and biomedical applications. Peptides self-assemble when triggered by physical or chemical factors due to their versatile physicochemical characteristics. Peptide self-assembly, when combined with the health-promoting bioactivity of peptides, can also result in a...

Looking for a book to answer the why, what, and how related to functional foods and nutraceuticals? As the demand for health promotion through foods increases, functional foods and nutraceuticals have seen rapid development both in industry and academia. This book provides teaching and learning materials on functional foods and nutraceuticals for h...

Gelatin (GL) is one of the most utilized biopolymers due to its versatile physicochemical properties. However, replacing animal-based proteins in food and drug formulations has become a significant research area due to environmental and health concerns. Gum tragacanth (GT) is a promising polysaccharide with water-soluble and water-swellable parts....

Lignans and stilbenes are two structurally related groups. They occur in different anatomical parts (roots, rhizomes, stems, bark, leaves, seeds, and fruits) of hundreds of species of African medicinal plants. Lignans are biosynthesized by oxidative dimerization of two phenylpropanoid units and possess an enormous structural diversity originating f...

Haskap (Lonicera caerulea L.) has gained much research interest, given the diverse biologically active compounds found in different parts of the plant. It is, therefore, important to study the concentration of some of these biologically active compounds at different developmental stages. The present study investigated the effect of growth stages on...

Islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) fibrillation induces β-cell dysfunction and toxicity in patients with type 2 diabetes. Cytotoxicity is caused by the ability of IAPP fibrils and fibrillar intermediates to permeate the cellular membrane of pancreatic β-cells, trigger endoplasmic reticular stress, induce reactive oxygen species production, and upregu...

The four-dimensional (4D) printing concept, defined as a targeted change in material properties under stimuli such as water, ultraviolet (UV) exposure, and heat, has been under the spotlight in recent years due to its promising functionalities and design freedom for food applications. However, there is little progress in food applicability and comp...

Bioactive peptides and protein hydrolysates have gained considerable attention in the food industry and functional food markets due to their diverse health effects, including antioxidant, antihypertensive, and antidiabetic properties. This study aimed to produce combined soy and corn protein hydrolysates using Alcalase (Al), modification of Al‐hydr...

Redox enzymes are essential components of the cellular defence system against oxidative stress, which is a common factor in various diseases. Therefore, understanding the role of bioactive nutraceuticals in modulating the activity of these enzymes holds immense therapeutic potential. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the regulation of r...

Peanut protein (PP)/buckwheat protein (BWP) mixture crosslinked by transglutaminase (TGase) under dual-frequency ultrasound (DFU) field was developed and its structural and functional properties were characterized. The results showed that the optimal DFU parameters for PP-BWP crosslinking were 25 kHz/40 kHz dual-frequency ultrasound time ratio 10:1...

Plant-based protein market is becoming increasingly important in addressing the pressing environment, animal welfare, health-related concerns, and dietary needs. However, plant proteins are often limited by lower protein quality compared to animal proteins. Conversely, incorporating plant-based proteins into food product formulations requires speci...

The normal immune response to infection requires a well-regulated mechanism of leukocyte activation and recruitment, a process generally termed inflammation. Dysregulation of this inflammatory response is a major problem in modern medicine and is associated with several disease conditions including autoimmune diseases, cancer and even COVID-19. Foo...

Metal-chelating peptides, which form metal-peptide coordination complexes with various metal ions, can be used as biofunctional ingredients notably to enhance human health and prevent diseases. This review aims to discuss recent insights into food-derived metal-chelating peptides, the strategies set up for their discovery, their study, and identifi...

Garlic is a popular food spice with diverse and well-established medicinal properties. Many research interests have been directed toward the biological activities of the phytochemical constituents of garlic. However, prospects of its bioactive proteins and peptides have been understudied to date. With the advances in food proteomics/peptide researc...

Microalgae are receiving increased attention in the food sector as a sustainable ingredient due to their high protein content and nutritional value. They contain up to 70% proteins with the presence of all 20 essential amino acids, thus fulfilling human dietary requirements. Microalgae are considered sustainable and environmentally friendly compare...

The aim of this work was to determine the structural requirements for peptides that inhibit acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) activities. The data set used consisted of 19 oligopeptides that had been identified through mass spectrometry analysis of enzymatic digests of yellow field pea protein. The structure−function rel...

Needle abscission in balsam fir has been linked to both cold acclimation and changes in lipid composition. The overall objective of this research is to uncover lipid changes in balsam fir during cold acclimation and link those changes with postharvest abscission. Branches were collected monthly from September to December and were assessed for cold...

Dr. Chibuike Udenigwe and Dr. Xiaohong Sun are serving as the Editors of a new book titled “Bioavailability of Nutraceuticals and Bioactive Compounds”, to be published by CRC Press in Spring 2024 as a volume of the Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals series. We are seeking authors who can provide unique and insightful perspectives on the topic of e...

Needle abscission in balsam fir has been linked to both cold acclimation and changes in lipid composition. The overall objective of this research is to uncover lipid changes in balsam fir during cold acclimation and link those changes with postharvest abscission. Branches were collected monthly from September to December and assessed for cold toler...

Glycation enhances plant protein techno-functionality; however, digestibility and the equilibrium between peptides absorbed and those reaching the colon can be altered. This study evaluated how undigested glycated lentil proteins, potentially reaching the colon affect the gut microbiota using batch fermentation and the Simulator of Human Intestinal...

Ovalbumin-derived peptides IFYCPIAIM, NIFYCPIAIM and YCPIAIMSA, containing a common region YCPIAIM, were previously identified as aggregation-prone peptides with variable fibril formation. In this study, we elucidated self-assembly mechanisms of the peptides, by determining the influence of self-assembly on sulfhydryl group accessibility. The free...

Soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) contributes to the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases by decreasing the epoxyeicosatrienoic acids/dihydroeicosatrienoic acids ratio and influencing the anti-inflammatory system. Thus, sEH inhibition reduces systemic inflammation, particularly in the brain. This study investigated sEH inhibition by a tetrap...

This study evaluated the effects of different concentrations of green lentil acetone extract (GLA) (250, 500, 750, and 1000 μg/mL) and protein of green lentil (PGL) (1, 2, 3, and 4 g/100 g MP) on the functional attributes of myofibrillar protein (MP). GLA extract and PGL significantly affected the structure of MP by decreasing the carbonyl and sulf...

This study investigated the impact of ionic strength and lipophilicity of bioactive compounds on their interaction with the alkaline soluble pea glutelin fraction (ASF) using the fluorescence quenching technique. A Stern-Volmer quenching constant, KD, of 8.9 ± 0.10, 5.3 ± 0.06, 4.0 ± 0.01, 1.1 ± 0.00, 0.9 ± 0.02, and 0.1 ± 0.00 (×104 M-1) was obser...

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is regarded as a fatal neurodegenerative disease that is featured by progressive damage of the upper and lower motor neurons. To date, over 45 genes have been found to be connected with ALS pathology. The aim of this work was to computationally identify unique sets of protein hydrolysate peptides that could serve...

Flavour is an important component that impacts the quality and acceptability of new functional foods. However, most flavour substances are low molecular mass volatile compounds, and direct handling and control during processing and storage are made difficult due to susceptibility to evaporation, and poor stability in the presence of air, light, moi...

Additive manufacturing (AM) techniques involve various steps and processes to create intricate shapes using edible or non-edible materials. This unique technology relies upon layer-by-layer operation to create an object that is pre-designed and coded with the help of specific software. The major challenges of three-dimensional printing (3DP) that h...

In 2017, a review of microalgae protein‐derived bioactive peptides relevant in cardiovascular disease (CVD) management was published. Given the rapid evolution of the field, an update is needed to illumininate recent developments and proffer future suggestions. In this review, the scientific literature (2018–2022) is mined for that purpose and the...

Protein plays numerous nutritional and physiological roles in the body that are essential for life. The demands for animal proteins are estimated to double by 2050 due to the rapid growth of the world population. Plant proteins are considered a sustainable option for meeting the increasing demand for food proteins. Ultrasound technology has been ap...

New mixed Alcalase-hydrolysates were developed using corn gluten meal (CP) and soy protein (SP) hydrolysates, namely CPH, SPH, SPH30:CPH70, SPH70:CPH30, and SPH50:CPH50. Amino acid profile, surface hydrophobicity (H 0), molecular weight (MW) distribution, antioxidant activity, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), α-amylase, and α-glucosidase inhibi...

Compounds with structural similarities to the neurotransmitter (acetylcholine) are mostly used to inhibit the activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) therapy. However, the existing drugs only alleviate symptoms of moderate to mild conditions and come with side effects; hence, the search is still on for potent and safer o...

Egg white protein hydrolysate generated with pepsin was investigated for the presence of peptides with self-assembly and hydrogelation properties. Incubation of the hydrolysates for 16 h resulted in aggregates with significantly (p < 0.05) lower free amino nitrogen and sulfhydryl contents, and higher particle diameter and surface hydrophobicity com...

Considering the involvement of oxidative stress in the etiology of many non-communicable diseases, food-derived antioxidant peptides (FDAPs) are strong candidates for nutraceutical development for disease prevention and management. This paper reviews current evidence on the transepithelial transport and cellular mechanisms of antioxidant activities...

Food protein interaction with other biopolymers, such as tannic acids, within a food matrix can alter their structure and functionality. In this study, the nature of lentil protein-tannic acid (LPTA) interaction and its effect on in vitro peptic hydrolysis were investigated. In LPTA mixtures containing 1% w/v LP and 0.001% - 0.5% TA, a twenty-fold...

Functional foods are gaining traction as a source of peptides possessing hydrogelation properties. Analysis of peptides (n=429) in egg white protein hydrolysates resulted in the identification of six peptides: IFYCPIAIM, NIFYCPIAIM, VLVNAIVFKGL, YCPIAIMSA, MMYQIGLF, and VYSFSLASRL as prominent self-assembly candidates based on prediction of their a...

Islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) fibrillation has been commonly associated with the exacerbation of type 2 diabetes prognosis. Consequently, inhibition of IAPP fibrillation to minimize β-cell cytotoxicity is an important approach towards β-cell preservation and type 2 diabetes management. In this study, three tetrapeptides, TNGQ, MANT, and YMSV,...

Ginger has been widely used for different purposes, such as condiment, functional food, drugs, and cosmetics. Gingerols, the main pungent component in ginger, possess a variety of bioactivities. To fully understand the significance of gingerols in the food and pharmaceutical industry, this paper first recaps the composition and physiochemical prope...

The integrity of the bone is dependent on the strict balance between osteoclastogenesis and osteoblastogenesis, and any imbalance results in bone diseases. Dietary proteins (DP) have been shown to promote osteogenesis while inhibiting bone resorption in cultured osteoblasts, and in animal models of bone diseases such as ovariectomy, 1α,25‐dihydroxy...

The increased consumption of legume seeds as a strategy for enhancing food security, reducing malnutrition, and improving health outcomes on a global scale remains an ongoing subject of profound research interest. Legume seed proteins are rich in their dietary protein contents. However, coexisting with these proteins in the seed matrix are other co...

Potato protein-derived decapeptide DIKTNKPVIF exerted anti-inflammatory activity in animal models when delivered via intragastric gavage and intraperitoneal injection. However, DIKTNKPVIF is susceptible to hydrolysis in the digestive tract, which will decrease its bioaccessibility and possibly bioactivity. In this study, the anti-inflammatory activ...

This study investigated the impact of heating and microwave treatment on the in vitro digestibility (using the INFOGEST method) of buckwheat protein isolates (BPIs) and explored the mechanism. The microwave treatment at level 4 (480 W) for 3 min (ML4T3) increased the BPI digestibility by 67.1% over that of the control, while heating for 20—40 min d...

Anti-adhesive activity of wheat germ-derived peptides, which is considered as one of the promising strategies for preventing Helicobacter pylori infection, was investigated. The underlying mechanism of anti-adhesive action was due to peptides acting as receptor analogues and binding to H. pylori adhesin proteins. However, there is lack of informati...

Balsam fir needle retention and fatty acid profile changes due to cold acclimation throughout autumn, but little is known about the relationship between these two phenomena. The objective was to examine differences in FAs in contrasting needle abscission resistant balsam fir genotypes throughout autumn and early winter. Branches from genotypes with...

In this study, the nature of lentil protein-tannic acid (LPTA) interaction and its effect on in vitro pepsin digestion were investigated. LPTA mixtures containing 1% w/v LP and 0.001-0.5% TA were prepared and characterized in terms of particle size, thermal properties, and secondary and tertiary structures. A 20-fold increase in particle size was o...

Food-derived bioactive peptides are promising ingredients for developing functional foods and nutraceuticals due to their putative safety, low cost, and multiple health benefits. Chicken egg is considered a major source of dietary protein, lipids, vitamins, and minerals but is also highly allergenic. The aim of this work was to investigate the inhe...

Protein-polyphenol interaction is a promising approach for enhancing the antioxidant activities of proteins. This review discusses the binding mechanism of proteins and polyphenols, including covalent bonding and non-covalent interactions such as van der Waals, hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions. In addition, the review pr...

COVID-19 is caused by infection with the “severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2” (i.e., SARS-CoV-2). This is an enveloped virus having a positive sense, single-stranded RNA genome; like the two earlier viruses SARS-CoV and the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) virus. COVID-19 is unique in that, in the severe case, it has the propens...

Lentil consumption has been constantly growing due to its nutritional composition and functional properties. Lentil seeds are rich in several bioactive compounds with an effect on decreasing the symptoms of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and aging. In this study, the effects of acetone extract (GLA extract), soluble fiber (GLSF), and protein (PG...

Protein‐energy malnutrition is a global challenge that demands urgent attention, especially with the increasing population growth and unmatched food security plans. One strategy is to expand the list of protein sources, such as neglected and underutilized crops, with high protein content. A good number of plant proteins, in addition to their nutrit...

Curcumin-loaded native and succinylated pea protein nanoparticles, as well as zwitterionic giant unilamellar vesicles were used in this study as model bioactive compound loaded-nanoparticles and biomembranes, respectively, to assess bio-nano interactions. Curcumin-loaded native protein-chitosan and succinylated protein-chitosan complexes, as well a...

Jatropha curcas seeds are a suitable source of oil for biofuel, among other use. A protein‐rich meal is obtained after oilseed extraction. The goals of this study were to determine the physicochemical and functional properties of a nontoxic genotype of J. curcas defatted meal (JCDM) and the seed storage protein fractions to identify future applicat...

Due to their combination of featured properties, protein and polysaccharide-based carriers show promising potential in food bioactive ingredient encapsulation, protection, and delivery. The formation of protein–polysaccharide complexes and conjugates involves non-covalent interactions and covalent interaction, respectively. The common types of prot...

Islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) fibrillation has been commonly associated with the exacerbation of type 2 diabetes prognosis. Consequently, inhibition of IAPP fibrillation to minimize β-cell cytotoxicity is an important approach towards β-cell preservation and type 2 diabetes management. In this study, we identified three tetrapeptides, TNGQ, MANT...

Background The biological activities of food-derived bioactive peptides (BAPs) depend on the specific structural properties. BAP structures may be altered in the gastrointestinal tract, resulting in poor in vivo translatability of in vitro bioactivity. Structure-biostability relationship of BAPs is not well understood. Thus, this systematic review...

Assessment of food quality is an important feature in novel food products development process. This is because quality has implications for safety, nutritional contents, traceability, and market value of foods. However, due to the biochemical complexities of food products, it has become important that advanced analytical tools relating to proteomic...

This study aimed to understand the role of the mucus layer (a biological hydrogel) in the transport mechanisms of peptides. Using established in vitro models, the mucin-binding activity and mucus-permeating property of peptides were determined. Uncharged peptides with relatively high hydrophilicity, including MANT, TNGQ, and PASL, as well as cation...

Egg white has high protein content and numerous biological/functional properties. However, the reported allergenicity for some of the proteins in the egg white is an issue that needs to be...

Enzymatic hydrolysis of proteins is a breakdown process of peptide bond in proteins, releasing some peptides with potential biological functions. Previous studies on enzymatic hydrolysis of whey proteins have not identified the complete peptide profiles after hydrolysis. In this study, we reconstructed a profile of peptides from whey hydrolysates w...

Edible seeds play a significant role in contributing essential nutritional needs and impart several health benefits to improve the quality of human life. Previous literature evidence has confirmed that edible seed proteins, their enzymatic hydrolysates, and bioactive peptides (BAPs) have proven and potential attributes to ameliorate numerous chroni...

Potato processing effluents represent a potential source of valuable proteins for the production of bioactive peptides. In this study, potato protein was hydrolyzed with Alcalase and fractionated using ultrafiltration (10, 2 kDa molecular weight cut off) and adsorption chromatography (adsorbent resin XAD-16 column). Potato protein hydrolysates (PHM...

Africa is endowed with a profoundly rich and diverse system of plants and other bio-resources out of which, by traditional medicine practice, the people have satisfied their healthcare needs right from antiquity. In contemporary times, it has become necessary to modernize this traditional medical care system via scientific studies. Validation of th...

Due to the rapid growth in the global population, the consumption of animal-based food products/food compounds has been associated with negative implications for food sustainability/security. As a result, there is an increasing demand for the development of plant-based food and compounds as alternatives. Meanwhile, a growing number of studies repor...

The impact of structural and physicochemical properties of pea globulin, glutelin and albumin on their interaction with curcumin for their functional role in the gastrointestinal delivery of curcumin was investigated. The binding constant K for curcumin binding with the alkaline-soluble glutelin, salt-soluble globulin and water-soluble albumin frac...

The health benefits and toxicity of plant products are largely dependent on their secondary metabolite contents. These compounds are biosynthesized by plants as protection mechanisms against environmental factors and infectious agents. This review discusses the traditional uses, phytochemical constituents and health benefits of plant species in gen...