Team Name: Forest Food Nutrition and Health Innovation Team
Research Directions:
The team focuses on Yunnan's characteristic medicinal and edible forest food resources, integrating with local industries, and conducts research around the following directions:
(1) Impact of Storage and Processing Methods on the Quality and Functional Activity of Forest Foods
Studies the changes in nutritional quality and functional activity of forest food raw materials during processing and storage, identifying control points for quality formation and key factors leading to deterioration; establishes and optimizes post-harvest storage and processing technologies to provide technical support for enterprises and the industry.
(2) Screening of Active Functional Factors in Forest Foods and Their Improvement Effects on Chronic Metabolic Diseases
Screens and explores the nutritional and functional factors in forest food resources. Further, systematically evaluates their efficacy in preventing and treating chronic metabolic diseases such as inflammation, diabetes, and obesity using digestion models, cell models, and animal models, providing data support for the development and utilization of forest food resources in health products.
(3) Deep Processing and Development of High-Value Forest Food Products
Addresses the needs of enterprises and the industry by employing modern food high-tech methods such as microbial fermentation, superfine grinding, and microencapsulation for the deep processing and development of forest food raw materials and their by-products, particularly high-value health products and snack foods.
(4) Processing and Property Research of Woody Oilseed Proteins and Oils
Focuses on Yunnan's abundant woody oilseed resources such as walnuts, macadamia nuts, and Malania oleifera, conducting research on the processing and modification of their protein and oil resources to enhance their product processing value. Also, isolates, identifies, and intervenes in key risk factors like allergens in these woody oilseeds to improve product safety.
Team Members:
Zhang Xuechun, Professor, Research Direction: Plant Protein Processing and Modification Research, Comprehensive Utilization of Forest Medicinal and Edible Resources.
Xiong Zhi, Professor, Research Direction: Development and Utilization of Microbial Resources.
Ao Xinyu, Associate Professor, Research Direction: Development and Utilization of Forest Medicinal and Edible Fungal Resources.
Wang Zhenxing, Associate Professor, Research Direction: Storage, Processing, and Health Effect Evaluation of Forest Medicinal and Edible Resources.
Fang Yue, Lecturer, Research Direction: Development and Efficacy Evaluation of Forest Probiotic Food Resources.
Nie Jinggui, Lecturer, Research Direction: Quality Control of Fermented Foods, Formation Mechanisms of Food Flavor and Texture.
Ongoing Projects:
1. Yunnan Provincial Key Foreign Expert Project, Sino-Malaysia Joint Deep Processing, Development, and Utilization of Underforest Medicinal and Edible Resources, 2026-2027, 100,000 CNY.
2. Yunnan Provincial Major Science and Technology Special Project, Key Technological Innovation and Application for High-Value Comprehensive Utilization of Tartary Buckwheat, 2025-2027, 2.4 million CNY.
3. Yunnan Provincial Academician Expert Workstation Project, Yunnan Provincial Amin Bin Ismail Expert Workstation – International Joint Scientific and Technological Innovation R&D for Yunnan Characteristic Forest Medicinal and Edible Resources, 2025-2028, 900,000 CNY.
4. Yunnan Provincial Farmer Academician Science and Technology Service Station Project, 2025-2028, 350,000 CNY.
5. Yunnan Provincial Agricultural Joint Special General Project, Study on the Structure-Activity Relationship and Mechanism of Dendrobium devonianum Polysaccharides Targeting the Promotion of Clostridium butyricum Intestinal Colonization, 2025-2029, 100,000 CNY.
6. Wenshan City "Unveiling and Commanding" Project, Quality Evaluation and Key Processing Technology Research of Wenshan Amomum (Horizontal Project), 2025-2028, 30,000 CNY.
7. Yunnan Provincial "Xingdian Talent Support Plan" Youth Talent Project, 2024-2029, 720,000 CNY.
8. Yunnan Provincial Agricultural Joint Special General Project, Probiotic Fermentation Transformation of Panax Notoginseng Leaf Saponins and Their Anti-inflammatory Structure-Activity Relationship Study, 2024-2027, 100,000 CNY.
9. Yunnan Provincial "Xingdian Talent Support Plan" Youth Talent Project, 2023-2028, 500,000 CNY.
10. Yunnan Provincial Agricultural Joint Special General Project, Mechanism of the Impact of Probiotic Fermentation on the Composition of Phenolic Substances in Dendrobium officinale and Its Anti-Chronic Enteritis Activity, 2022-2025, 100,000 CNY.
11. Yunnan Provincial Science and Technology Plan Project Basic Research Special General Project, Mechanism of Walnut Flower's Effect on Resisting High Sugar-Induced Oxidative Stress in Drosophila, 2022-2025, 100,000 CNY.
12. High Value-Added Utilization and Product Development of Tea Oil Processing By-products (Horizontal Project), 2023-2025, 30,000 CNY.
13. Yunnan Provincial China Tobacco Company, Development of Tobacco Dry Distillation Flavorings and Their Application in Cigarettes (Horizontal Project), 2023-2025, 190,000 CNY.
Representative Achievements:
1. Wang, Z., He, T., Fang, Y., Lan, Z., Liu, B., Kong, K. W., Sun, J., & He, X. (2025). Impact of processing methods in shaping taste, flavor, antioxidants, and metabolites in teas (Camellia sinensis): A multi-method analysis. Food Research International, 116060. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2025.116060. (Zone 1 TOP, IF=7.0)
2. Miao-qing Song, Yue Fang, Hao Cui, Ping Xiang, Wen-jie Zheng, Kin Weng Kong, Amin Ismail, Xia-hong He*, Zhen-xing Wang*. Rosmarinic Acid Prevents Dextran Sulfate Sodium-Induced Ulcerative Colitis in Mice by Enhancing the Function of the Intestinal Barrier and Preserving Intestinal Homeostasis. Food Science and Human Wellness, 2025, https://doi.org/10.26599/FSHW.2025.9250471 (Zone 1 TOP, IF=8)
3. Li, S., He, X., Zhang, X., Kong, K. W., Xie, J., Sun, J., & Wang, Z. (2025). Integration of volatile and non-volatile metabolite profile, and in vitro digestion reveals the differences between different preparation methods on physico-chemical and biological properties of Gastrodia elata. Food Chemistry, 463, 141177. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.141177. (Zone 1 TOP, IF=8.5)
4. He, S., Lu, Z., Li, R., Chen, C., Fu, X., Kong, K. W., Ismail, A., Zhang, X., & Wang, Z. (2025). Chemical Composition, Antioxidant Activity, α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Activity, and Metabolomic Profiling of Dendrobium Officinale across Diverse Growing Regions and Cultivation Modes. Food Bioscience, 106714. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fbio.2025.106714. (Zone 2 TOP, IF=4.8)
5. Zhang, X.; Li, S.; Zhang, Z.; Kong, K.W.; Wang, Z.; He, X. Chemical Constituents, Antioxidant, and α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Activities of Different Fermented Gynostemma Pentaphyllum Leaves and Untargeted Metabolomic Measurement of the Metabolite Variation. Antioxidants 2023, 12, 1505. (Zone 2 TOP, IF=7) https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox12081505
6. Guoshuang Qin, Yajing Li, Jian Sun, Zhenxing Wang, Jinggui Nie, Kin Weng Kong, Amin Ismail, Yongyu Si, Xuechun Zhang. (2026). Utilization of Walnut Male Flowers (Juglans regia L.) as a Functional Ingredient in Biscuits: Impacts on Dough Rheology, Nutritional Composition, Glycemic Response, and Sensory Attributes[J]. Food Science & Nutrition 14, no. 2: e71510. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.71510. (Zone 2, IF=3.8)
7. Wang Wenmeng, Jiang Bingting, Wang Zhenxing, Nie Jinggui, Fang Yue, Tang Junrong, Zhou Ying, Li Nengbo, He Xiahong, Zhang Xuechun. Improvement Effect of Dendrobium devonianum Raw Pulp Beverage on Constipation in Mice[J/OL]. Food Science, 2025, 1-15.
8. Xu Xinning, Sha Rongshuang, Zhang Xuechun, Tang Junrong, Zhou Ying, Li Nengbo, He Xiahong, Wang Zhenxing. In Vitro Antioxidant, Hypoglycemic Activities and Metabolomic Analysis of Stems and Flowers of Dendrobium strongylanthum[J]. Food Science, 2025, 46 (21): 18-29.
9. Jiang Bingting; Li Rurui; Fang Yue; Zheng Wenjie; Zhou Ying; Li Nengbo; He Xiahong; Wang Zhenxing. Effects of Lactic Acid Bacteria Fermentation on Antioxidant Activity and Phenolic Compounds of Dendrobium officinale [J]. Transactions of the Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering, 2025, 41(2): 328-337. DOI: 10.11975/j.issn.1002-6819.202408119.
10. Han Mingchong, Li Yunqian, Wang Yihui, Zhang Xuechun, Fang Yue, Xiang Ping, Hua Yan, Li Tianli, He Xiahong, Wang Zhenxing. Effects of In Vitro Simulated Digestion on Chemical Components, Functional Activities, and Saponin Changes in Panax Notoginseng Leaves[J]. Food Science, 2025, 46 (12): 57-66.
Contact Information:
Email: wangzhenxingfood@163.com ; fangyue2022@swfu.edu.cn
Team Website: https://www.x-mol.com/groups/zhangxuechun
