Interviews with Faculty Researchers

– Interview with Dr Zhao Danyue, Daisy
Assistant Professor, Department of Food Science and Nutrition

As global rates of obesity and metabolic disorders rise, the demand for alternative therapies beyond conventional pharmaceuticals has intensified. Dr Zhao Danyue, Daisy's research focuses on polyphenols, naturally occurring phytonutrients found in plant-based diet and medicinal herbs, and their applications in managing metabolic diseases. Her work addresses the challenges of polyphenol bioavailability by leveraging their favourable interactions with functional gut bacteria and developing novel polyphenol-bacteria combinations or “synbiotic”, aspiring to proposing holistic remedies for diet- and age-related metabolic disorders.

Polyphenols are renowned for their multifarious health benefits, particularly antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-obesity properties. However, their therapeutic efficacy is limited by their poor bioavailability and chemical instability during digestion. Only a small fraction of polyphenols is absorbed in the small intestine, while the remainder interacts with gut microbiota, altering microbial composition and metabolic activities. In response, certain functional bacteria can produce bioactive metabolites that can be re-absorbed into the body and provide various health benefits. Her studies show that polyphenols can act like prebiotics, selectively promoting beneficial bacteria, such as Akkermansia and Faecalibacterium, while inhibiting harmful species, contributing to a healthier gut microenvironment. Dr Zhao's research suggests such polyphenol-microbial conversions as "missing links" that enable polyphenols to exert metabolic health benefits even without being absorbed. Using advanced metabolomics techniques, Dr Zhao's team has also identified a wide array of microbial metabolites, such as urolithins and secondary bile acids, as key bioactive agents with potent regulatory effects on glucose and lipid homeostasis.

Dr Zhao's lab is currently working on a unique herb, Rubus suavissimus S. Lee, a plant of medicinal significance to China’s Yao minority group known for its natural sweetness and liver-tonic effect. Their work in preclinical models demonstrates its great potential to function as microbial-targeted therapeutics or functional dietary components in combating metabolic diseases including obesity, diabetes and dyslipidemia. The team is establishing quality control standards for the herbal preparations while employing eco-friendly extraction methods. In collaboration with industry partners, Dr Zhao's team aims to accomplish scale-up production and develop microbial-targeted functional foods and supplements for metabolic health. By standardizing the production pipeline and securing patents, her lab is strategically positioned to offer sustainable, natural solutions for managing metabolic diseases.

透過與功能性腸道菌協作 強化植物營養素對抗代謝疾病的生物效能

– 趙丹玥博士專訪
食品科學及營養學系助理教授

隨著全球肥胖和代謝疾病的患病率加速上升，人們對傳統藥物以外的替代療法的需求也隨之增加。趙丹玥博士專注于研究多酚（一類廣泛存在於日常飲食中的天然植物化合物）及其在治療代謝疾病中的應用。她透過研究多酚與功能性腸道細菌的相互作用，開發出新型多酚-功能細菌組合（即合生元），以解決與飲食和老齡化相關的代謝健康問題，並提出系統性的改善方法。

多酚因其多重健康功效，特別是抗氧化、抗炎和抗肥胖的特性而聞名，但其保健功效受到生物可用程度低及化學不穩定性的限制。僅小部分多酚會在小腸中被吸收，其餘則與腸道菌群相互作用，最終改變菌群組合及代謝功能。某些功能性細菌能產生可重新被人體吸收的有利健康的活性生物代謝物。趙博士發現，多酚能像益生元一樣，選擇性促進有益的細菌（如阿克曼氏菌和糞腸球菌）的生長，抑制有害細菌，幫助建立健康的微腸道環境。她指出，闡明多酚與微生物的相互作用，是解釋多酚能在不被吸收的情況下改善代謝的「隱秘環節」。利用先進的代謝組學技術，她的團隊找到多種微生物代謝物，如尿石素和次級膽汁酸，可作為穩定及調節血糖和脂肪代謝的生物活性劑。

目前，趙博士的團隊正鑽研懸鉤子甜葉的藥效及主要活性成分。這種草藥以其天然的甜味和護肝的作用而聞名，在中國瑤族文化中具有悠久的藥用歷史。臨床前期研究顯示，作為靶向腸道菌群的活性劑或功能性膳食成分，其在對抗代謝疾病方面有巨大潛力。團隊正在為草藥製劑的質量控制建立標準，研發可持續的綠色萃取方法，及在針對改善代謝健康的可持續草本藥物的研發之路上開拓創新，開發靶向腸道菌群的功能性食品和膳食補充劑，並與業界夥伴合作，將生產規模化，為市場提供管理代謝疾病的新思路。