Food Science and Techonology senior student Zhou Yifan has published her latest undergraduate thesis online as the first author in Food Research International.

Food Research International is an internationally renowned journal in food science and engineering technology. The journal has a 2021 SCI impact factor of 4.972, a JCR division of Q1. 

The paper published by Zhou Yifan is entitled "New Insights into Molecular Mechanisms of 'Cold or Hot' Nature of Food: When East Meets West".The FYP supervisor and corresponding author of this paper is Professor Xu Baojun, Programme Director of Food Science and Engineering.

Zhou Yifan

This thesis collects research on hot and cold properties from popular databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar and Science Direct over the past 20 years and finds that hot and cold properties, as important features of TCM foods and herbs, are not only related to chemical components such as minerals, water, carbohydrates, lipids and amino acids, but also to various biological effects, including energy metabolism, inflammatory responses, inflammatory responses, immune responses, cell growth and proliferation. In addition, this paper further raises the possibility that the hot and cold properties of food and herbs may have different biological effects on the inflammatory response through the regulation of the cellular signaling pathways NF-κB and MAPK. Further studies need to consider the overall link between biological effects and chemical composition, and how food processing affects the cold and heat properties of foods.

“When I first chose this topic, I was not sure if I could do it on my own, considering the lack of scientific and systematic research on the concept of cold-hot nature in Chinese medicine and the amount of knowledge involved in biochemistry and molecular biology," said Zhou Yifan. However, with the help and guidance of Prof. Xu, I was able to complete my thesis and achieve some research results. My undergraduate research experience has encouraged me, developed my self-confidence and furthered my interest in the health effects of food. Furthermore, I have completed another review on the anti-cancer molecular signaling pathway of dietary saponins in the second semester of my senior year. I hope I can continue to progress and get more exercise, and I am also very grateful to Professor Xu for the valuable opportunities and selfless help.

Zhou Yifan has now received the following offers: University College London (QS10), National University of Singapore (QS11), University of Edinburgh (QS20), King's College London (QS31), University of Hong Kong (QS22), University of Manchester (QS27), Chinese University of Hong Kong (QS43), Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (QS27), University of Queensland (QS46), Monash University (QS55).

(From: Food Science and Technology)