Research
The main focus of research in PBFQ is to understand the chemical, biochemical and genetic basis of quality of foods and crop products. Quality is defined as any valued aspect of the crop and ranges across many areas from the composition and levels of
- macronutrients such as starches, fats, proteins, and dietary fibres
- micronutrients such as minerals, carotenoids and vitamins
- anti-nutrient components such as phytates, tannins, glycoalkaloids and by-products (e.g., acrylamide)
- health beneficial components such as polyphenols, triterpenoids, and polysaccharides
- to phytochemicals that find use as pharmaceuticals, chemical precursors, colours, or flavours
PBFQ applies its analytical capabilities and experience to examine the levels of these various components. Obviously different foods have different key components such as starches in potatoes and cereals, proteins in pulses and polyphenols in berries. Research focuses on the effect of various factors that can influence food and product quality including the effects of genetics such as the introduction of new varieties that have been selected for improved flavour, resistance to pests, ability to yield under reduced nutrient availability or the greater abiotic stresses predicted under climate change scenarios.
We also look at the effects of changing growing techniques such as the Balruddery system (https://csc.hutton.ac.uk/) to reduce inputs to achieve sustainable intensification of food production to the new vertical farming systems that can completely control all parameters of plant growth. These areas fit well with the Hutton flagship initiative of the Advanced Plant Growth Centre (https://apgc.org.uk/) which examines the mechanisms and genetics of improving plant quality. We are also interested in understanding how plants adapt to biotic stresses such as pests and diseases and how this can influence food quality.
We also collaborate with industry partners to improve post-harvest treatments of crops such as storage, processing, cooking methods and formulation to improve final product quality. We often investigate genetic variation or examine process design to improve these issues.
There is increasing evidence that non-nutrient components of fruit and vegetables (FAV) may have key roles in providing the health benefits associated with FAV-rich diets. A major thrust of my research examines the possibility that phytochemicals in plant foods can provide human health benefits. A key area has been on polyphenols in berries, and we have been involved in collaborations with biomedical teams to
- Establish bioactivities relevant to human health for berry polyphenols
- Analyse the composition of polyphenols in bioactive extracts to confirm structure-activity relationships for effectiveness and to assess the stability and bioavailability of active components in the human body
- Develop high through-put methods to analyse the inheritance of bioactive polyphenols in berries, to link the ‘health’ phenotype to the genotype of Hutton’s elite germplasm collection. This led to establishment of QTLs for specific HBCs in raspberry and blackcurrant (https://doi.org/10.1007/s11306-023-02033-7) that can be used as genetic markers for accelerated breeding of varieties with tailored composition.
- Assess environmental influences on the accumulation of levels of bioactive components (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2022.134360)
Similar approaches have been taken with other potential health beneficial components including carotenoids in microalgae (https://doi.org/10.3390/biology7010002) and sesquiterpene lactones in lettuce (https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12113547).
We are also applying our analytical expertise and experience to assess crop waste streams as sources of high value food or non-food components, this circular economy approach has been used to obtain high quality plant-based proteins from agricultural waste streams (https://apgc.org.uk/800k-government-grant-for-broccoli-protein-upcycling-consortium/). PBFQ is active in the Produce Pillar of the new National Alternative Protein Innovation Centre (NAPIC – PEOPLE – NAPIC) We are also examining co-products from various food crops as sources of reformulation agents that can help reduce the levels of fats, sugars, and salts in processed foods through a “health-through-stealth” approach. We have extended this biorefinery – no waste approach to examining the valorisation of seaweed co-products (https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-022-02895-9). We have considerable experience in analysing for the high value components of seaweeds and running trials to confirm biostimulant effects on crop plants.
Past research
Through collaborations with biomedical groups with relevant model systems for cardiovascular health, neurodegeneration, diabetes, and cancers, we examined extracts with closely defined compositions for bioactivities. The studies include analysis of the metabolic fate of the components to define the mechanisms of action and the candidate active ingredients (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.redox.2021.101862). In human trials, bioavailability studies of the levels of metabolites in blood, urine and faeces were examined.
Through these studies, I have confirmed that different polyphenol components from berries can have different effects in different model systems and that overall efficacy is often decided by a combination of bioactivity, stability, and longevity/bioavailability in the system. These cross-disciplinary collaborations have led to close associations particularly with the University of Ulster and Universiade Nova de Lisboa, and funded through various EU grants (e.g., BrainHealthFood).
Along with Will Allwood, I have established novel MS based methods for following polyphenol diversity. This has enabled us to link polyphenol inheritance to the genetic maps being developed for raspberry and blackcurrant by CMS and BioSS colleagues (Julie Graham & Colin Alexander). Through this approach, we established QTLs which may enable accelerated breeding of improved varieties with elevated levels of healthy components. The high-through-put methods developed have been employed to track the diversity of polyphenols from growing berries under different agronomic conditions, in different latitudes or after different processing methods with collaborators from across Europe (e.g., https://results.northsearegion.eu/en/projects/Future-proofing-the-North-Sea-berry-fruit-industry-in-times-of-climate-change.122/).
I have also been involved in studies that correlate the metabolic and molecular changes associated with aspects of food quality. For example, through close working with CMS colleagues, we correlated changes in metabolite profiles and gene expression in coloured and non-coloured potato tuber tissues controlled by different microRNAs (https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2018.01742).
I have also applied expertise in cell wall chemistry and biochemistry to studies on sweet potato texture related to cooking time and consumer preferences in Sub-Saharan Africa. This Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation project (https://rtbfoods.cirad.fr/) established links between varieties and textural properties which may lead to faster cooking varieties but with texturally acceptable characteristics which may extend the range of practically used genotypes and improve diet and health. This built on work on the genetic and biochemical basis of potato tuber texture by comparing differences in textural properties between Solanum tuberosum and Solanum phureja varieties.
With industrial and university partners, and often working through our commercial arm James Hutton Ltd, I have been very active in applying our analytical capacities to solve problems associated with product flavour, manufacture and the effects of processing and cooking on bioactive components from diverse sources, such as seaweeds and oats.
We have built collaborations with British Universities including Glasgow, Ulster, Dundee, Reading, Abertay, Queen Margaret, Newcastle, Sheffield Hallam, Strathclyde, Aberystwyth, University of the Highlands and Islands and St Andrews. International collaborations are in place with scientists from Universities and Research Institutes in, e.g., Germany, Italy, Bulgaria, Spain, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, France, Holland, Ireland, Portugal, USA and New Zealand. We also have a network of research partners in UK and European companies but are open for discussions in any new ventures.
