- Name of Research Group:
Microbial Proteins and Probiotics Research Group (MiPP RG)
- Main research focus and other areas of research interest of the RG:
Application of fermentation technology to carry out research and innovation into microbial/microbially-enhanced protein ingredients for the development of probiotic enriched foods and other functional food products.
- Title of most recent research project:
Nwaudah, E. I., Mbaeyi-Nwaoha, I.E. and Ofoegbu, D. C. (2025). Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) and Okara Flour as Nutritional Enhancers in Wheat Biscuits: A Study on storage stability. Foods, 6;14(3):539. doi: 10.3390/foods14030539.
- A maximum of seven (7) other current or completed research projects
- Effect of optimization on the quality of coconut milk supplemented with soy protein isolate and fructose for a non-dairy probiotic beverage
- Comparative studies of the inclusion of graded levels of dry and fresh whole pepper fruit (Dennettia tripetala) extract in stored yoghurt
- Assessment of the suitability of cucumbers (Cucumis Sativus), Carrots (Daucus Carota) and bananas (Musa acuminata) in yoghurt parfait
- Quality evaluation of herbal yoghurt produced using cinnamon (Cinnamon cassia), garlic (Allium sativum) and ginger (Zingiber officinale).
- Effect of the inclusion of scent (Ocimum gratisimum) and mint leaves (Mentha spp) in herbal yoghurt
- Quality evaluation of parfait using Carica papaya and Arachis hypogaea
- Effect of the incorporation of coconut flakes, sesame seed and mint leaves for topping of a parfait bar
- Name of the Coordinator:
Professor Ifeoma Elizabeth Mbaeyi-Nwaoha
UNN email address of the RG: microbialprotein.rg@unn.edu.ng
- UNN email address of the coordinator: ifeoma.mbaeyi-nwaoha@unn.edu.ng
- Current webpage of the RG:
https://sites.google.com/unn.edu.ng/mbaeyi-nwaoha-lab/home?authuser=0
Phone number of the RG: 08037722818
Phone number of the coordinator: 08158071714
Base Faculty/Institute/Center of the RG: Faculty of Agriculture
- Department of the Coordinator: Food Science and Technology
- Headshot of the coordinator (not mandatory)
- List and brief profiles of members (one paragraph per member) with their UNN website url to their detailed CVs (hyperlinks are OK):
Professor Ifeoma Mbaeyi-Nwaoha (Principal Investigator)
Professor Mbaeyi-Nwaoha is a Professor of Food and Industrial Microbiology at the University of Nigeria. She has experience in food fermentations and has done extensive work in probiotics, breakfast cereals and non-dairy food products.
Dr. Helen Onyeaka (Co-Principal Investigator)
Dr Helen Onyeaka is an industrial microbiologist with a background in chemical engineering. Her research interests are in food fermentation processing, safety of reformulated foods, food safety, quality and spoilage and food waste valorisation
Dr. Chioma Okoronkwo (Co-Principal Investigator)
Dr. Chioma Okoronkwo holds a PhD in Food Microbiology and Biotechnology. She has extensive knowledge on plant based dairy and plant based yoghurt.
Eric Ezenwanne (Research Advisor)
Eric is a machine learning engineer, and a systems biology specialist focused on optimized biological models at Common Ground – Synthesis of Biology. He has experience in working with optimized models and meta questioning agents.
David Omale (Research Assistant)
David is a research assistant at the Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Nigeria. He has worked on lactic acid bacteria and its application in developing plant-based products. He has good knowledge of fermentation derived alternative proteins, and leads a student group for alternative proteins.
Members Google Scholar Citation links:
Professor Ifeoma Mbaeyi-Nwaoha Google Scholar
Dr. Helen Onyeaka Google Scholar
- Members Researchgate links
Professor Ifeoma Mbaeyi-Nwaoha Researchgate
Dr. Helen Onyeaka Researchgate
Dr. Chioma Okoronkwo Researchgate
David Omale Researchgate
- 10 key publications of the RG from 2019 till date
- Quality Evaluation of Complementary Food Produced by Solid-State Fermentation of Fonio, Soybean and Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato Blends
- Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) and Okara Flour as Nutritional Enhancers in Wheat Biscuits: A Study on Storage Stability
- Enhancing protein quality in breakfast cereals with blends of acha, pigeon pea, and oyster mushrooms
- Impact of acha, pigeon pea, and oyster mushroom flour blends on amino acid profiles: Economic and health benefit
- Quality evaluation of formulated instant noodles from wheat, rice (Oryza sativa) and mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) flour blends
- Quality Evaluation of Herbal Yoghurt Produced Using Cinnamon (Cinnamon cassia), Garlic (Allium sativum) and Ginger (Zingiber officinale)
- Proximate assessment and bioassay of breakfast cereals produced from blends of acha (Digitaria exilis), mungbean (Vigna eadiata) and cashew nut (Anarcadium occidentale Linn) flours
- Sensory profile and physicochemical composition of premixed and post mixed fruit wine from blends of pineapple and watermelon juice
- Physico-Chemical and Microbiological Properties of Tamarind Seed Flour and Protein Isolate
- Production and Evaluation of Breakfast Cereals from Rice, African Yam-bean and Orange-fleshed Sweet Potato
- Toxicity of Soursop Leaf Powder and its Relevance in Determining the Micronutrient Status in Formulated Complementary Food
- List of patents/exhibitions/shows/productions, etc from 2019 till date
Ongoing
- Bank account details of the RG
Yet to get