Kwaku Gyebi Duodu

Prof Duodu is Associate Professor of African Grains and Food Bioactives in the Department of Consumer and Food Sciences, University of Pretoria. Prof Duodu has authored or co-authored at least 50 articles in international peer-reviewed journals and six book chapters. He currently holds a C2 rating from the NRF. He is also a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis. Prof Duodu teaches food chemistry, food engineering and some aspects of cereal science, legume science and fats and oils chemistry and technology.

His research focus is on the health-promoting properties of African grains and their foods, with a specific focus on metabolomic profiling, chemistry and physiological actions of bioactive phenolic compounds of African grains using in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo studies. It is imperative for Africa to develop high quality and affordable food products based on African cereal grains, such as sorghum, maize and millets, legumes like cowpeas, Bambara groundnut and marama bean, root crops such as orange flesh sweet potato and African leafy vegetables. Present day Africa carries an ever-increasing burden of diet-related non-communicable diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. African cereal and legume grains and leafy vegetables are being recognised for their unique nutritional and health-promoting potential due to their slow digestibility and high levels of micronutrients and phytochemicals such as phenolic compounds.

Prof Duodu’s research includes the following interrelated topics:

- Combating conditions and diseases associated with overnutrition such as metabolic syndrome, certain cancers, Type II diabetes and cardiovascular diseases with African foods.
- Effect of novel food processing technologies on health-promoting properties of cereal- and legume-based foods