Archie Mpofu

archie mpofuDepartment & Program:

  • Food Science, M.Sc.

Awards:

  • James W. Barlow Graduate Fellowship (2005-6)
  • University of Manitoba Graduate Student Association Travel Award (2005)
  • University of Manitoba Graduate Student Conference Travel Award (2005)

Research focus:
Archie’s research is an investigation of genotype by environment (G X E) variation in phenolic composition and antioxidant activity of wheat varieties grown in Western Manitoba. This study largely explores the possibility of breeding wheat that consistently produces high amounts of antioxidant compounds when grown under different environmental conditions.
Several environmental parameters are monitored during the growing season of the wheat, these include rainfall, temperature, soil pH, Fusarium damage and frost damage. Wheat is harvested at the stage of maturity and subjected to several antioxidant tests. These tests include the oxy-radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay, photochemiluminescence and high performance liquid chromatography. Antioxidant parameters from these assays are then correlated to environmental conditions to determine the nature of the influence of environmental conditions on the antioxidant properties of wheat. Environmental effects on antioxidant properties are additionally compared with genotype effects and the stability of genotypes across different growing environments determined. 
Results from Archie’s work are providing important insights on the manner in which genotype and environmental effects and the interaction between these effects influence antioxidant properties of wheat. These results have so far been presented at the 2005 annual meeting of the institute of Food Technologists (IFT) held in New Orleans, USA as well as the 2005 annual meeting of AACC International held in Orlando, USA and they have been published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (J. Agric. Food Chem., 54 (4), 1265 -1270, 2006). Archie looks forward to continuing work on antioxidants and other active biochemicals in cereal grains as a Ph.D. student in the department of Food Science and department of Human Nutrition interdisciplinary doctoral Program.