University of Nottingham Malaysia has partnered with Fuller Young International Limited for the development of functional food products from papaya for the treatment of dengue fever and age-related illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, Parkinson’s disease and hypertension as well as to boost the immune system.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between UNM and Fuller Young International Limited on 8 July 2021 to mark this partnership.
Fuller Young International (FYI) is a functional food and nutraceutical company based in Queenstown, New Zealand. They possess expertise in planting papaya trees and papaya leaf extract processing in Japan and New Zealand.
Through this partnership, FYI will work together with the research team from UNM led by Dr Ching Lik Hii from the Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering.
Research in scholarly journals have reported potential health benefits of papaya leaves as herbal medicine in the treatment of various illnesses and diseases including dengue fever.
The research is still ongoing and needs to undergo rounds of clinical testing on people before the team can move on to the next phase, which is the commercialisation of products.
Once this phase is completed, FYI will then begin the production of capsules that contain the compounds extracted from the papaya leaf. These capsules will be primarily marketed to consumers in Malaysia and the greater Southeast Asian region.
According to Dr Hii, tackling the process has been challenging during the pandemic, as most hospitals are under stress from COVID-19-related duties, which may lead to delays in conducting the clinical tests needed for the clinical-testing phase.
‘’We are very pleased to have Fuller Young International collaborating with us, this is a huge milestone and together we will explore further the benefits of papaya leaves and provide potential solutions to dengue fever well beyond the Malaysian shores,” said Dr Hii
The current research team members from UNM also include Dr Sze Pheng Ong from the School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering and Professor Kuan Hon Lim from the School of Pharmacy. In the previous Fundamental Research Grant Scheme project funded by the Ministry of Higher Education, the team successfully managed to extract carpaine from papaya leaves and studied the effects of processing parameters.
“It is wonderful to witness this collaboration as an important milestone towards the commercialisation of this products developed by our researchers to benefit our community at large,” said Professor Dominic Foo, Head of the UNM Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering.
(Article and thumbnail caption: The virtual MOU signing ceremony (Top (from left to right): Dr Ching Lik Hii, Dr Siew Shee Lim, Raymond Young; Middle (from left to right): Professor Chung Lim Law, Professor Kuan Hon Lim, Professor Dominic Foo; Bottom: Professor Christopher Gibbins)
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For media enquiries please contact: Josephine Dionisappu, PR and Communications Manager University of Nottingham Malaysia at josephine.dionisappu@nottingham.edu.my
Notes to editors: The University of Nottingham is a research-intensive university with a proud heritage. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement. Ranked 103rd out of more than 1,000 institutions globally and 18th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings 2022, the University’s state-of-the-art facilities and inclusive and disability sport provision is reflected in its crowning as The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2021 Sports University of the Year. We are ranked eighth for research power in the UK according to REF 2014. We have six beacons of research excellence helping to transform lives and change the world; we are also a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally. Alongside Nottingham Trent University, we lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, a pioneering collaboration which brings together the combined strength and civic missions of Nottingham’s two world-class universities and is working with local communities and partners to aid recovery and renewal following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Posted on 2nd August 2021