Rotimi Aluko

aluko
Position: Professor

Office:
University of Manitoba
Department of Human Nutritional Sciences
R 209 Richardson Centre for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals
196 Innovation Dr., SmartPark
Winnipeg, MB R3T 6C5

Phone No.: (204) 474-9555

Fax No.: (204) 474-7552

E-mail: alukor@cc.umanitoba.ca

Dr. Aluko’s research interests include bioactive peptides and functional properties of food proteins. There is a particular interest in the use of bioactive peptides from plant proteins such as peas, flaxseed and hempseed in the formulation of nutraceutical products and as antihypertensive agents. Currently, clinical trials are being performed in human subjects to determine the blood pressure lowering effect of one of the pea protein hydrolysate products.

Education:

1996 Ph.D. University of Guelph
1985 M.Sc. Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria
1982 B.Sc. University of Lagos, Nigeria

Areas of Specialization:

Research Interests:

Protein Chemistry: Structure-function properties of plant seed proteins; enzymatic modifications to improve protein functionality; characterization of protein-stabilized emulsions.

Functional foods and nutraceuticals: Isolation, characterization and biological activity of peptides derived from enzymatic hydrolysis of food proteins.

Funding
1. Advanced Food and Materials Network (AFmnet)
2. NSERC
3. Manitoba Agri-Food Research & Development Initiative (ARDI)

Recent Articles in Refereed Publications

82. Udenigwe, C.C., Adebiyi, A.P., Doyen, A., Li, H., Bazinet, L., Aluko, R.E. 2012. Low molecular weight flaxseed protein-derived arginine-containing peptides reduced blood pressure of spontaneously hypertensive rats faster than amino acid form of arginine and native flaxseed protein. Food Chemistry. In press (Accepted November 7, 2011).

81. Udenigwe, C.C., Aluko, R.E. 2012. Chemistry and Bioactivity of Food Phytoalexins. In: Bioactive Molecules in Plant Foods. F. O. Uruakpa (Ed). New York: Nova Science Publishers. In press.

80. Udenigwe CC, Aluko RE. 2012. Food protein-derived bioactive peptides: production, processing and potential health benefits. J. Food Sci. In press.

79. Udenigwe CC, Li H, Aluko RE. 2012. Quantitative structure–activity relationship modelingof renin-inhibiting dipeptides. Amino Acids. In press.

78. Ajibola, C.F., Eleyinmi, A.F., Aluko, R.E. 2011. Kinetics of the inhibition of renin and angiotensin-I converting enzyme by polar and non-polar polyphenolic extracts of Vernonia amygdalina and Gongronema latifolium leaves. Plant Foods Hum. Nutr. In press.

77. Deng, Y., Aluko, R.E., Qing, J., Zhang, Y., Yuan, L. 2011. Inhibitory activities of baicalin against renin and angiotensin converting enzyme. Pharm. Biol. In press.

76. Ndiaye, F., Vuong, T., Duarte, J., Aluko, R.E., Matar, C. 2011. Anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulating properties of an enzymatic protein hydrolysate from yellow field pea seeds. Eur. J. Nutr. In press.

75. Girgih AT, Udenigwe CC, Li H, Adebiyi AP, Aluko RE. 2011. Kinetics of enzyme inhibition and antihypertensive effects of hemp seed (Cannabis sativa L.) protein hydrolysates. J Am Oil Chem Assoc. 88, 1767-1774.

74. Wu, L., Chanput, W., Wu, J., Aluko, R., Horimoto, Y., Nakai, S. 2011. Computer-Aided Optimization of Peptide Sequences and Integrated Delivery of Selected Peptides to Targets: A Case Study on Blood Pressure of Oldest-Old Patients. In: Bioactive Food Proteins and Peptides: Applications in Human Health, Eds. N. Hettiarachchy, K. Sato, M.R. Marshall. New York: CRC Press. 2011, pp. 311-331.

73. Aluko, R.E. 2011. Plant derived bioactives. In B. Grodzinski and R.Y. Yada (Eds.), Comprehensive Biotechnology, 2nd edition. New York: Elsevier Publishers. 2011, pp. 501-515.

72. Udenigwe CC, Aluko RE. Hypolipidemic and hypocholesterolemic food proteins and peptides, In: Bioactive Food Proteins and Peptides: Applications in Human Health, Eds. N. Hettiarachchy, K. Sato, M.R. Marshall. New York: CRC Press. 2011, pp. 189-216.

71. Ajibola, C.F., Fashakin, J.B., Fagbemi, T.N., Aluko, R.E. 2011. Effect of peptide size on antioxidant properties of African yam bean seed (Sphenostylis stenocarpa) protein hydrolysate fractions. . Int. J. Mol. Sci. 12, 6685-6702. (open access)

70. Li, H., Prairie, N., Udenigwe, C.C., Adebiyi, A.P., Tappia, P., Aukema, H.M., Jones, P.J.H., Aluko, R.E. 2011. Blood Pressure Lowering Effect of a pea protein hydrolysate in hypertensive rats and humans. J. Agric. Food Chem. 59, 9854-9860.

69. Aukema HM, Gauthier J, Roy M, Jia Y, Li H, Aluko RE. 2011. Distinctive effects of plant protein sources on renal disease progression and associated cardiac hypertrophy in experimental kidney disease. Mol Nutr Food Res. 55, 1044-1051.

68. Fasakin CF, Udenigwe CC, Aluko RE. 2011. Antioxidant properties of chlorophyll-enriched and chlorophyll-depleted polyphenolic fractions from leaves of Vernonia amygdalina and Gongronema latifolium. Food Res. Int. 44, 2435-2451.

67. Adebiyi AP, Aluko RE. 2011. Functional properties of protein fractions obtained from commercial yellow field pea (Pisum sativum L.) seed protein isolate. Food Chem. 128, 902–908.

66. Udenigwe, C.C., Aluko, R.E. 2011. Chemometric analysis of the amino acid requirements of antioxidant food protein hydrolysates. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 12, 3148-3161. (open access).

65. Udenigwe, C.C., Aluko, R.E. 2011. Another side of flaxseed: proteins and peptides. AgroFOOD Industry Hi-Tech. 22, 50-53.

64. Pownall, T.L., Udenigwe, C.C., Aluko, R.E. 2011. Effects of cationic property on the in vitro antioxidant activities of pea protein hydrolysate fractions. Food Res. Int. 44, 1069-1074.

63. Girgih, A.T., Udenigwe, C.C., Aluko, R.E. 2011. In vitro antioxidant properties of hempseed (Cannabis sativa L.) protein hydrolysate fractions. J. Am. Oil Chem. Soc. 88, 381-389.

62. Aluko, R.E. 2010. Food protein-derived peptides as calmodulin inhibitors. In "Functional Food Proteins and Peptides", E.C.Y Li-Chan, Y. Mine and B. Jiang (Eds.), IFT Symposium Series, Wiley-Blackwell: New York. pp. 55-65.

61. Zhang, B., Aluko, R.E., Ye, X., & Yuan, L. 2010. Binding of sodium houttuyfonate analogues to bovine serum albumin revealed by fluoresence quenching study. Medicinal Chem. Res. 19, 1287-1295.

60. Upadhyaya, J., Prasad Pydi, S., Singh, N., Aluko, R.E., Chelikani, P. 2010. Bitter taste receptor T2R1 is activated by dipeptides and tripeptides. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 398, 331-335.

59. Li, H., Aluko, R.E. 2010. Identification and inhibitory properties of multifunctional peptides from pea protein hydrolysate. J. Agric. Food Chem. 58, 11471-11476.

58. Pownall, T.L., Udenigwe, C.C., Aluko, R.E. 2010. Amino acid composition and antioxidant properties of pea seed (Pisum sativum L.) enzymatic protein hydrolysate fractions. J. Agric. Food Chem. 58, 4712-4718.

57. Udenigwe, C.C., Aluko, R.E. 2010. Antioxidant and angiotensin converting enzyme-inhibitory properties of a flaxseed protein-derived high Fischer ratio peptide mixture. J. Agric. Food Chem. 58, 4762-4768.

56. You, S-J., Udenigwe, C.C., Aluko, R.E., & Wu, J. 2010. Multifunctional peptides from egg white lysozyme. Food Res. Int. 43, 848-855.

55. Agboola, S.O., Mofolasayo, O.A., Watts, B.M., & Aluko, R.E. 2010. Some functional properties of yellow field pea (Pisum sativum L.) seed flours and the in vitro bioactive properties of their polyphenols. Food Res. Int. 43, 582-588.

54. Tsopmo, A., Diehl-Jones, B.W., Aluko, R.E., Kitts, D., Elisia, I., & Friel, J.K.2009. Tryptophan released from mother’s milk has antioxidant properties. Pediatric Res. 66, 614-618.