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Emeriti Profile
Research
To determine the synergistic effect of dietary agents with an emphasis on phenols and present in dry beans, grain sorghum, and natural waste streams on their ability to prevent or remediate cellular stresses that lead to metabolic syndrome or virulent Candida albicans phenotypes . This information is used to determine the active components mechanism on multiple metabolic or proteomic targets, which in turn will help facilitate the development of functional foods and nutraceuticals. A secondary research goal is to develop and/or establish analytical methods for analyzing the effects of metabolites from a complex dietary system acting upon human health metabolism.
- To discover plant base synergists able to prevent / remediate a stressed phenotype to a healthy phenotype (e.g., pro-inflammatory to anti-inflammatory states of macrophages or virulent to non-virulent state of pathogenic yeasts or high cholesterol to low cholesterol state).
- To understand how synergistic natural compounds modulate carbohydrate metabolism and/or molecular/orgenelle structures to maintain a healthy state.
- To evaluate the effects farming practices / environment and cooking processes on plant secondary metabolites in various crops to ensure that the proper combination of health promoting synergists are maintained. (Management system - effect on long term processes.)
- Development of high-throughput metabolomic analytical methods for analyzing the effects of metabolites from a complex dietary system acting upon human health metabolism.
Education
- B.A. Chemistry, Union College
- M.S. Analytical Chemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
- Ph.D. Analytical Chemistry, Iowa State University
Teaching and/or Extension Activities
- Quality Assurance and HACCP: 403/803
- Food Quality Assurance and HACCP: 403/803
- Food Science and Technology Undergraduate Seminar: 451
- Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods: 470/870
Publications
- Lee B. H., T. P. Carr, T. P., C. L. Weller, S. Cuppett, I. M. Dweikat, V.L. Schlegel, (2014).Grain sorghum whole kernel oil lowers plasma and liver cholesterol in male hamsters with minimal wax involvement. Journal of Functional Foods, 7:709-718.
- Saxena, A. and V. Schlegel, (2015). Harnessing metabolic diversity for nutraceutical plant breeding. In Genomics, Proteomics and Metabolomis in Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods, Second Edition. ED D. Bagchi, A. Swarrop, M. Bagchi, Wiley Blackwell, pp 349-354.
- Althywab, S., Carr, T. P., C L. Weller, I Eweikat, and V. Schlegel. (2015). Advances in grain sorghum and its co-product as a human health promoting dietary system. Food Research International, 77:349-359.
- Duar, R. M., P. T. Ang, M. Hoffman, R. Wehling, R. Hutkins, V. Schlegel, (2015). Processing effects on four prebiotic carbohydrates supplemented in an extruded and low pH liquid product. Cogent Food and Nutrition, 1: 1013782-1013793
- Camara, C., C., Urrea, V. L.Schlegel, (2013). Pinto Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) as a functional food: Implications on human health. Agriculture 3:90-111.