Dr Chika I. Chukwuma
Dr Chika Chukwuma

NRF RATING
C2
POSITION
Researcher
QUALIFICATIONS
Ph.D. (Biochemistry)
SHORT CV
Dr Chukwuma am an expert in diabetes and endocrinology research and a Prof. Nat Sci. of the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions. His research interest includes studies on functional foods and  medicinal plants in the management of diabetes and associated metabolic disorders. Through multi-disciplinary research, he aspires to probe into the medicinal phytochemistry of the non-edible wastes from fruits, elucidating their mechanistic  and pharmacological potential in managing metabolic diseases and oxidative stress. Thereby, providing insights to their  applications as readily available medicinal food products. He has published more than 65 research papers in high impact  factor journals and produced doctoral (2) and master’s (5) students. He has more than 1300 Google Scholar citations and  a h-index of 23. With a C2 rating by the South African National Research Foundation, he has been identified as an  established researcher with notable recognition from peers in the field. He has an appreciable track record of winning  competitive grants, scholarships and research awards. He has served as a Guest Editor for reputable journals in Frontiers  and MDPI and currently an Editorial Board Member of Discover Applied Sciences (Springer Nature) and Current Chinese Science (Bentham Science).
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
Functional foods
Diabetes
Oxidative stress
Medicinal plants
Pharmacology
PUBLICATIONS
  • Chukwuma CI*. (2024). Antioxidative, Metabolic and Vascular Medicinal Potentials of Natural Products in the Non-Edible Wastes of Fruits Belonging to the Citrus and Prunus Genera: A Review. Plants, 13(2): 191. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13020191
  • Izu GO, Mfotie Njoya E, Tabakam GT, Nambooze J, Otukile KP, Tsoeu SE, Fasiku VO, Adegoke AM, Erukainure OL, Mashele SS, Makhafola TJ, Sekhoacha MP, Chukwuma CI*. (2024). Unravelling the Influence of Chlorogenic Acid on the Antioxidant Phytochemistry of Avocado (Persea americana Mill.) Fruit Peel. Antioxidants, 13(4): 456. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox13040456
  • Muhammad A, Chukwuma CI*, Erukainure OL, Islam MS. (2024). Editorial: Therapeutic potential of natural products in oxidative and metabolic diseases. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 15: 1375788. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2024.1375788
  • Mashile B, Setlhodi R, Izu GO, Erukainure OL, Mashele SS, Makhafola TJ, Eze KC, Chukwuma CI*. (2024). Temperature-dependent extraction and chromatographic recovery and characterisation of ellagitannins with potent antioxidant and glycaemic control properties from ‘Wonderful’ pomegranate peel. International Journal of Food Science and Technology. 59(1): 408-424. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijfs.16823
  • Setlhodi R, Mashile B, Izu GO, Gbashi S, Mashele SS, Bonnet SL, Makhafola TJ, Chukwuma CI*. (2024). Modeling the Influence of Extraction Temperature on the Ellagitannin and Antioxidant Profiles of “Wonderful” Pomegranate Peel Using Advanced Chemometrics Analysis. Food and Bioprocess Technology, 17: 83-99. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11947-023-03104-2
  • Setlhodi R, Mashile B, Izu GO, Gbashi S, Mashele SS, Bonnet SL, Makhafola TJ, Chukwuma CI*. (2023). Effect of solvent extraction on the antioxidant and phytochemical profiles of ellagitannins from "wonderful" pomegranate peel: an advanced chemometrics analysis. European Food Research and Technology. 249: 1807–1820.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s00217-023-04255-4
  • Matowane GR, Mashele SS, Makhafola TJ, Chukwuma CI*. (2023). The ameliorative effect of zinc acetate with caffeic acid in the animal model of type 2 diabetes. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, 163:114779. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2023.114779
  • Matowane GR, Ramorobi LM, Mashele SS, Bonnet SL, Noreljaleel A, Swain SS, Makhafola TJ, Chukwuma CI*. (2023). Novel Caffeic Acid - Zinc Acetate Complex: Studies on Promising Antidiabetic and Antioxidant Synergism Through Complexation. Medicinal chemistry, 19(2):147-162. https://doi.org/10.2174/1573406418666220620144601
  • Ramorobi LM, Matowane GR, Mashele SS, Erukainure OL, Makhafola TJ, Chukwuma CI*. (2023). Therapeutic Antidiabetic and Antioxidative Synergism of Zn(II)-Syringic Acid Complexation. Revista Brasileira de Farmacognosia, 33: 402–414. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43450-023-00363-0
  • Chukwuma CI, Ramorobi LM, Mashele SS. Therapeutic synergism between zinc and syringic acid against diabetes and oxidative stress. The International Diabetes Federation Virtual Congress, held from 4th  to 7th  of December 2023
  • Chukwuma CI, Setlhodi R, Mashile B, Gbashi S, Mashele SS, Bonnet SL. Modelling the influence of extraction temperature on the ellagitannin and  antioxidant profiles of “Wonderful” pomegranate peel using advanced  chemometrics analysis. The 25th Biennial Congress of the South African Association for Food Science and Technology (SAAFoST), held at Cape Town International Convention Centre from 28th to 30th of  August 2023
  • Chukwuma CI, Matowane RG, Mashele SS, Bonnet SL. Therapeutic antidiabetic and antioxidative synergism of Zn(II)-caffeic acid complexation. The 56th Annual South African Society for Basic and Clinical Pharmacology (SASBCP) conference, held at Rhodes University from 24th to 27th  of August 2023
  • Chukwuma CI, Akuru EA, Mashile B, Setlhodi R, Mashele SS, Makhafola TJ, Mpendulo TC. Nutritional and phytochemical profile of pomegranate (“Wonderful variety”) peel and its effects on hepatic oxidative stress and metabolic alterations. The Euro-Global Conference on Biotechnology and Bioengineering Online Conference, held during the 6th and 7th of September 2021
  • Chukwuma CI. Zinc (II) complexes in diabetes management: Plant-derived phenolics as understudied promising ligands. The 5th South African Society for Basic and Clinical Pharmacology (SASBCP) Annual Conference, held virtually on the 22nd of October 2021
  • Chukwuma CI, Matsabisa MG, Chaudhary SK. Stem bark exudate (resin) of Araucaria cunninghamii Aiton ex D. Don (hoop pine) abates glycation, α-glucosidase and DPP-IV activity and modulates glucose utilization in Chang liver cells and 3T3-L1 adipocytes. First Conference of Biomedical and Natural Sciences and Therapeutics (CoBNeST), held at Spier Wine Estate, Stellenbosch, from the 7th  to 10th of October 2018
  • Chukwuma CI, Islam MS, Amonsou EO. Amadumbe (Colocasia esculenta) and okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) viscous polysaccharides inhibit carbohydrate and fat digesting enzymes and intestinal glucose absorption but exhibit antioxidant capacity and enhances muscle glucose uptake: A comparative multi-mode study. The 18th International Congress of International Society for Ethnopharmacology & the 5th International Congress of the Society for Ethnopharmacology, India (ISE-SFEC 2018), held at the Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh from the 13th to 15th of January 2018
  • Chukwuma CI, Mopuri R, Nagiah S, Chuturgoon AA, Islam MS. Erythritol reduces small intestinal glucose absorption, increases muscle glucose uptake, improves glucose metabolic enzymes activities and increases expression of Glut-4 and IRS-1in type 2 diabetic rats. The South African Annual Pharmacological Conference (SAPHARM-2017), held at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, from the 1st to 4th of October 2017
  • Chukwuma CI, Islam MS. Effect of xylitol on the anti-oxidative defense system in a type 2 diabetes model of rats. The 23rd IDF World Diabetes Congress, held at the Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Center, Vancouver, Canada, from the 30th of November to the 4th of December 2015
EXTERNAL PROFILES
LinkedIn
ResearchGate
Google Scholar
OrcID

Contact Us
  • Dr Chika Chukwuma
  • Tel:
  • cchukwuma@cut.ac.za