From Fruit Waste to Wellness: Dr. Chika Chukwuma is pushing the boundaries of collaborative science to improve chronic healthcare in South Africa. Pictured from left: Prof. Wendy Setlalentoa, Acting DVC: Research, Innovation and Engagement; Dr. Chika Chukwuma, recipient of the 2025 Vice-Chancellor’s Excellence Award for Established Researcher; and Prof. Pamela Dube, Vice-Chancellor and Principal, celebrating a research leader whose pioneering work in functional foods and medicinal chemistry is transforming diabetes care through innovation.

Type 2 diabetes affects millions of people globally, but one CUT researcher and scientist is turning that struggle into hope by using food itself as medicine. Dr. Chika Chukwuma is leading research that reimagines the role of food in healthcare, exploring how natural compounds and fruit waste can be transformed into functional foods that prevent and manage chronic disease.

Dr. Chika Chukwuma, recipient of this year’s Vice-Chancellor’s Excellence Award for Established Researcher, is leading pioneering studies on how everyday foods can help prevent and manage diabetes and related metabolic disorders.

A functional food expert, Dr. Chukwuma explores the hidden power of natural compounds found in plants and fruit waste. His research focuses on the medicinal potential of these compounds, particularly dietary polyphenols extracted from discarded fruit peels as therapeutic agents in combating type 2 diabetes and its oxidative and cardiovascular complications.

Through a project funded by the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) Pre-Seed Fund (FY 2024/25), Dr. Chukwuma is transforming fruit waste into health-promoting beverages designed to improve metabolic and cardiovascular health. “I want to create affordable, medicinal food products that not only improve people’s health but also protect the environment,” he says. “By exploring fruit waste as a source of therapeutic agents, my research contributes to recycling and repurposing commercial fruit waste, reducing environmental impact while advancing human health.”

His vision of turning waste into wellness directly supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals on Good Health and Well-being (SDG 3) and Climate Action (SDG 13).

Dr. Chukwuma’s research has earned international recognition, boasting over 1,000 citations, 80 publications, and an NRF C2 rating with an h-index of 26. A committed mentor, he has supervised three doctoral and five master’s students and secured more than R1.5 million in research funding.

Blending Natural Products Chemistry with Computational Medicinal Chemistry, his interdisciplinary approach bridges cutting-edge science with real-world health solutions. “Receiving the Vice-Chancellor’s Excellence Award is an honour that reflects years of dedication, collaboration, and support from my colleagues and students,” he said. “This recognition will strengthen partnerships and drive our research even further.”

From studying plant compounds to developing functional therapies, Dr. Chukwuma’s journey is about more than science, it’s about people. His work embodies CUT’s dedication to research that transforms lives, proving that innovation can start with something as simple as a fruit peel.

As CUT continues to celebrate and support exceptional scholarship, Dr. Chukwuma stands as a shining example of the innovation, sustainability, and human impact that define the university’s vision for the future.

Uploaded: 01 November 2025