October 31, 2016
Pineapples to rongoa in career boost
The chance to study how traditional Maori medicines can help counter type-2 diabetes has brought plant and food biologist Jonni Koia back home from Queensland.
Dr Koia from Tainui and Ngati Whawhakia has more than 15 years’ experience in molecular biology and biotechnology.
This included research on the genes involved in pineapple ripening and the production of substances in the fruit which confer nutritional and health benefits, such as anti-oxidants and vitamin C.
She has won Health Research Council Maori postdoctoral fellowship valued at more than $425,000 to take up a research position at Waikato University.
She will look at rongoa rakau with known anti-diabetic properties.
Dr Koia says New Zealand’s indigenous flora is one of the most unique and diverse in the world.
Maori have made use of plants with medicinal properties for hundreds of years, but until now there have been no clinical evaluations of their effectiveness.
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