The research group Biochemistry, Biomarkers and Phytoprotection specializes in the identification of natural products of plant origin with potential cancer chemopreventive properties. The group has a vast wealth of expertise in the isolation, purification and characterization of new cancer chemopreventive agents from natural resources and has worldwide ongoing collaborative projects with research institutes in Brazil, China, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Italy, Nigeria, and Thailand. A major aim is to identify and evaluate new effective chemopreventive compounds, elucidate their mechanisms of action, demonstrate their efficacy in in-vitro models and cell culture and evaluate effects on biomarkers in pre-clinical and human intervention studies.

Another major strength of the group is the provision of analytical expertise in terms of the anlaysis of cancer predictive and preventive biomarkers using a range of spectroscopic methods such as HPLC-ESI-MS, analytical HPLC, semi-preparative HPLC, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The Group also has a continuous culture bioreactor for studies on faecal metabolomics such as bile acid, ellagitannin and lignan fermentations.

The following can be assayed with high precision in plasma, serum and urine samples namely folates, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, prostaglandins, isoprostanes, lipids, tocopherols, carotenoids, retinoids, lignans, isoflavones, flavonoids, urolithins, ellagitannins, oestrogens, hormones, ceramides, 8-oxo-dG, bile acids, sterols and phytates.