Ciência sem Fronteiras (Science Without Borders)
DIT PhD Project
Supervisor name & contact details:
Name Dr Christine O’Connor
Email Christine.oconnor@dit.ie
Supervisors Profile:
Dr Christine O’Connor, Assistant Head of
School of Food Science and Environmental
Health in DIT. She has been a Chemistry
Lecturer in the School of Chemical and
Pharmaceutical Sciences from 2000 - 2014.
Prior to that she had studied in Dublin City
University with Prof Han Vos where she was
awarded a PhD in the Synthesis and
characterisation of novel Ruthenium (II)
complexes. She has more recently supervised
postgraduate students in the areas of
‘synthesis of novel drug delivery vehicles’ and
‘the design and evaluation of novel metal
complexes for therapeutic applications’.
Christine is a member of the Inorganic, Pharma
and Biomimetic Reseach Centre (IPBRC) and is
based in the Materials Synthesis and
Applications Lab (MSA) in the FOCAS Institute
of DIT. For further information and publications
please see:
http://www.dit.ie/fseh/stafflisting/christineoco
nnor/
http://arrow.dit.ie/do/search/?q=author_lnam
e%3A%22O%27Connor%22%20author_fname
%3A%22Christine%22&start=0&context=49073
8
Research Centre (if applicable):
Inorganic, Pharma and Biomimetic Research
Centre
Research Centre website (if applicable):
http://www.dit.ie/ipbrc/
Supervisors Publication List:
http://www.dit.ie/fseh/stafflisting/christineoco
nnor/
http://arrow.dit.ie/do/search/?q=author_lnam
e%3A%22O%27Connor%22%20author_fname
%3A%22Christine%22&start=0&context=49073
8
Title of the Project: Enhancing the Delivery of Nutraceuticals in Functional Foods.
Project Summary: The use of biocompatible macromolecules such as Cyclodextrin’s (CD) as drug
delivery vehicles has advanced in recent years. The drug delivery vehicles have applications in the
functional foods industry as delivery agents of nutraceuticals. It has been shown that
functionalised β-cyclodextrins can form inclusion complexes with folic acid and enhance the
photostability of the folic acid. (Tofzikovskaya, 2012) This research will broaden the investigation
using the functionalised cyclodextrin to investigate its use with bioactive extracts and their role
as nutraceuticals in functional foods. β-cyclodextrins are known for their applications in areas
such as;
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Taste masking
Enhancing solubility
Enhancing bioavailability
Odour masking
Enhanced stability in raw, cooked and microwaved foods
Enhanced physiochemical properties.
In the School of Food Science and Environmental Health there are many projects which are
currently looking at extraction of bioactive molecules from food bi-products or marine products.
This study will investigate the use of functionalised β-cyclodextrins in the applications of the
bioactive molecules.
This project entails some chemical synthesis of the folate-cyclodextrin bioconjugate as described
by Tofzikovskyaya (2012) in collaboration with Prof Mary McNamara. All starting materials,
intermediates and products will require spectroscopic characterisation on electronic (UV/Vis),
vibrational (IR and Raman), NMR, and Mass Spectroscopy’s in the FOCAS Institute and in the
School of Food Science and Environmental Health at DIT. The bioactives under investigation will
be selected in collaboration with Prof Nissreen Abu Ghannam.
Synthesis, characterisation and photo-stability of a folate-modified β-cyclodextrin as a functional
food additive, Z. Tofzikovskaya, C. O’Connor and M. McNamara, Journal of Inclusion Phenomena
and Macrocyclic Chemistry, 2012, 74(1-4), 437-445.
Ciência sem Fronteiras / Science Without Borders Priority Area:
Health and Biomedical Sciences