Education

Post Doctorate (1981-83), Animal Physiology, University of California, Davis, California
Ph.D. (1981), Animal Physiology, Agricultural Sciences, UBC
MSc.(1976), Animal Physiology, Agricultural Sciences, UBC
BSc. (Agr.) (1974), Animal Science, Agricultural Sciences, UBC

Research Interests

My research discipline is Food Chemistry and Toxicology. I employ many aspects of food chemistry principles to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms of both nutrient and food toxicant action in living organisms. Recently, my laboratory has focused on characterizing the mechanisms of antioxidant and prooxidant activity for many naturally occurring animal and plant constituents, in addition to derived products from food processing. Moreover, we have focused also on the interaction between food constituents and transition metals in modulating generation of free radical and peroxidation reactions that can alter stability of lipids in both food materials as well as biological membranes. 

Research Projects

• Antioxidant and metal sequestering activity of Maillard Reaction products. (funded by NSERC).

• Bioactivity components in mother’s milk (funded by AFMnet)

• Functional and health properties of cranberry (funded by UBC trust).

• Chemical methods of stabilizing oils using phytochemicals (Funded by IRAP and Industry partners)

• Mixed tocopherol preparations and presence of phytonutrients will influence vitamin E bioavailability and antioxidant function in intestinal cell lines (Funded by FNH-VCL) .

• Stress related induction of resveratrol in grapes and mechanism of action (Funded by NCE-Agr.Canada) 

Teaching

• Food Chemistry (FNH 301) undergraduate course.

• Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals (FNH 402) undergraduate course

• Food Science Capstone (FNH 425)-undergraduate course

• Food Science Undergraduate Thesis (FNH 499)

• Food Toxicology and Risk Assessment (Food 525) graduate course

Selected Publications

2011:

Liu, Y., Tomiuk, S. Rozoy, E., Bazinet, L., Green, T. and Kitts, D.D. 2011. Thermal oxidation studies on reduced folate, L-5-methyltetrahydrofolate (L-5-MTHF) and strategies for stabilization using food matrices.  Journal of Food Science (in press).

Chen X. and Kitts, D.D. 2011.  Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of Maillard reaction products isolated from sugar-amino acid model systems. Journal Agriculture and Food Chemistry. 59: (20) 11294-11303. 

Elisia, I. and Kitts. D.D. 2011.  Quantitation of hexanal as an index of lipid oxidation in human milk and association with antioxidant components.  Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition. 49 (3) 147-152.

Elisia, I., Tsopmo, A., Friel, J., Diehl-Jones, W. and Kitts, D.D. 2011. Tryptophane from human milk induces oxidative stress and up-regulates the Nrf-2-mediated stress response in human intestinal cells.  Journal of Nutrition. 141: 1417-1423.

Liu, Y. and Kitts. D.D. 2011. Confirmation that the Maillard reaction is the principle contributor to the antioxidant capacity of coffee brews.  Food Research International. 44:2418-2424.

Chen X. and Kitts, D.D. 2011.  Correlating changes that occur in chemical properties with the generation of antioxidant capacity in different sugar-amino acid Mallard reaction models. Journal of Food Science. 76: C831-C837.

Chen, X. and Kitts. D.D. 2011.  Identification and quantification of alpha-dicarbonyl compounds produced in different sugar amino acid Maillard reaction model systems.  Food Research International. 44: 2775-2782. 

Sahib, N.G., Hamid, A.A., Kitts, D.D., Purnama, M., Saari, N. and Abas, F. 2011. The effects of Morinda Citrifolia, Momordca Charantia and Centella Asiatica extracts on lipoprotein lipase and 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes.  Journal of Food Biochemistry.35 (4) 1186-1205

2010:

Samaranayaka, A.G. P., Kitts, D.D. and Li-Chan, E.C.Y. 2010. Antioxidative and angiotensin-I-converting enzyme inhibitory potential of a Pacific Hake (Merluccius productus) fish protein hydrolysate subjected to simulated gastrointestinal digestion and Caco-2 cell permeation. Journal Agriculture and Food Chemistry. 58: 1535-1542. 

Leusink, G.L., Kitts, D.D., Yaghmaee, P, and Durance, T.D. 2010. Retention of antioxidant capacity of vacuum microwave dried cranberry. Journal of Food Science. 75 (3): 311-316.

Chen, X. Elisia, I., and Kitts, D.D. 2010. Defining conditions for the co-culture of Caco-2 and HT29-MTX cells using Taguchi design. Journal of Pharmacological and Toxicology Methods. 61: 334-342. 

Chen, X. Hu, C. Raghubeer, E. and Kitts, D.D. 2010. Effect of high pressure pasteurization on bacterial load and bioactivity of Echinacea purpurea. Journal of Food Science. 75: (7) 613-618.

Kiddy, J., Weiss, M. Kitts, D.D., Levy-Milne, R. and Wasdell, M.B. 2010. Nutritional status of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): A pilot study. International Journal of Paediatrics. 2010: Article id-767318. doi:10.1155/20/2010/767318. 7 pages. 

Purnama, M., Yaghmaee, P., Durance, T.D. and Kitts, D.D. 2010. Porosity changes and retention of ginsenosides in North American ginseng root using different dehydration processes. Journal of Food Science. 75: (7) 487-492.

2009:

Elisia, I. and Kitts, D.D. 2009.  The Antioxidant Potential of Parsley and its Constituents. CAB Reviews: Perspectives in Agriculture, Veterinary Science, Nutrition and Natural Resources. 3: 1-14.

Yuan, Y.V., Westcott, N.D. and Kitts, D.D. 2009.  Mycosporine-like amino acid composition of the edible red alga, Palmaria palmate (Dulse) harvested from the west and east coasts of Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick.  Food Chemistry. 112: 321-328.

Zawistowski, J., Kopec, A. and Kitts, D.D. 2009. Effects of a black rice extract (Oryza sativa L. indica) on cholesterol levels and plasma lipid constituents in Wistar Kyoto rats. Journal of Functional Foods. 1 50-56.

Dieu Huynh, M. and Kitts, D.D. 2009. Evaluating Nutritional Quality of Pacific Fish Species From Fatty Acid Signatures. Food Chemistry. 114: 912-918.

Jing, H., Yap, M., Wong, P.Y.Y. and Kitts, D.D. 2009. Comparison of physiochemical and antioxidant properties of egg-white proteins and fructose and inulin Maillard Reaction Products. Food Bioprocess Technology DOI 10. 1007/s11947-009-0279-7, 8 pages.

Tijerina-Sáenz, A., Elisia, I., Innis, S.H., Friel, J.F. and Kitts, D.D. 2009. Use of ORAC to assess antioxidant capacity of human milk. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis. 22: 694-698.

Tijerina-Sáenz, A., I., Innis, S.H. and Kitts, D.D. 2009. Antioxidant Capacity of Human Milk and its Association with Vitamins A and E and Fatty Acid Composition. Acta Pediatrica 98: 1793-1798.

Tsopmo, A, Diehl-Jones, B.W.,Aluko,R., Kitts,D.D., Elisia, I. and Friel, J.F.2009. Tryptophan released from mother’s milk has antioxidant properties. Paediatric Research 66:614-618.

Hosseini-Beheshti, E., Lund, S.T. and Kitts, D.D. 2009. Comparison of antioxidant activity of two soft fruit sources with different anthocyanin composition. Acta Horticulturae. (ISHS) 841:519-522.

2008:

Chen, X.M. and Kitts, D.D. 2008.   Optimizing conditions for nitric oxide production in Caco-2 cells using Taguchi and factorial experimental designs. Analytical Biochemistry 381:185-192

Elisia, I. and Kitts, D.D. 2008. Anthocyanins inhibit peroxyl radical- induced apoptosis in Caco-2 cells. Molecular Cellular Biochemistry, 312: 139-145.

Elisia, I., Popovich, D.G., Hu, C. and Kitts, D.D. 2008.  Evaluation of viability assays for anthocyanins in cultured cells.  Phytochemical Analysis 19: 1-9.

Chen, X.M. and Kitts, D.D. 2008. Antioxidant activity and chemical properties of crude and fractionated Maillard reaction products derived from four sugar-amino acid Maillard reaction model systems.  Annals New York Academy Sciences 1126: 220-224.

Cinq-Mars, C., Hu, C., Kitts, D.D. and Li-Chan, E. 2008. Investigations into inhibitor type and mode, simulated gastrointestinal digestion and cell transport of the Angiotensin I-Converting enzyme inhibitory peptides in Pacific Hake (Merluccius productus) fillet hydrolysate. Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry. 56: 410-419.

Chen, X.M. and Kitts, D.D. 2008. Optimizing conditions for nitric oxide production in Caco-2 cells using Taguchi and factorial experimental designs. Analytical Biochemistry 381:185-192.

2007:

Kitts, D.D., Popovich, D.G. and Hu, C. 2007.  Characterizing the mechanism of ginsenoside  cytotoxicity in cultured leukemia (THP1) cells.  Canadian Journal Physiology Pharmacology 87: 1173-1183. 

Huynh, M.D., Kitts, D.D., Hu, C. and Trites, A.W. 2007. Comparison of fatty acid profiles of spawning and non-spawning Pacific herring, Clupea harvengus pallasi.  Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology. Part B.146: 504-511.

Elisia, I., Popovich, D.G., Hu, C. and Kitts, D.D. 2007.  Antioxidant activity of an anthocyanin enriched fraction collected from blackberry.  Food Chemistry, 101: 1057-1058. 

Hu, C., Cai, Y-Z., Li, W., Corke, H., and Kitts, D.D. 2007. Anthocyanin characterization and bioactivity assessment of a dark blue grained wheat (Triticum aestivium L. Cv Hedong Wumai) extract.  Food Chemistry. 104: 955-961.

Yuan, Y., Hu, C. and Kitts, D.D. 2007. Antioxidant activities of the flaxseed lignansecoisolariciresinol diglucoside, its aglycone secoisolariciresinol and the mammalian lignans enterodiol and enterolactone in vitro.  Food Chemical Toxicology 45: 2219-2227

Book Chapters

Elisia, I. and Kitts. D.D. 2011. Functionality of tocopherol isomers. In. Tocopherol Sources, Uses and  Health Benefits.  Chapter 9. Ed. A. Catala. Nova Publishers. N.Y. 141-171. 

Nakamura, S., Hata, J., Nakamura, K., Jing, H., Kitts, D.D. and Nakai, S. 2010. Site-specific  glycosylation using Pichia expression system imporves structural stability and antimicrobial activity of human Cystatin C. in. Advances in Medicine and Biology. Volume 3. Chapter 10. Ed. I. V. Berhardt. Nova Science Publishers, N.Y. pp. 243-254. 

Kitts, D.D. 2006.  Carbohydrates and mineral metabolism.  In. Functional Food Carbohydrates.  Eds. Biliaderis, C.G. and Izydorczyk, M.S.  CRC. Press.  413-434.

Kitts, D.D. 2005. Calcium binding proteins.  In. Nutraceutical Proteins and Peptides in Health and Disease.  Eds. Mine Y. and Shahidi, F.  Marcel Dekker.N.Y.  Chapter 2, pp. 11-27.

Kitts, D.D. 2005.  Toxicity and Safety of Fats and Oils.  In. Bailey’s Industrial Fats and Oils. Ed. Shahidi, F. John Wiley and Sons, Inc. NY. 

Kitts, D.D. 2005.  Antioxidant phytochemicals and potential synergistic activities at reducing risk of cardiovascular disease.  In.  Food Drug Synergy and Safety.  Eds. Thompson, L. and Ward, W. CRC Press. FL. Pp. 27-62 

Popovich, D.G. and Kitts, D.D. 2005.  Anti-cancer activity of ginseng and soy saponins. In. Nutrition and Cancer Prevention. Eds. Awad, A.B. and Bradford, P.G.  CRC Press. Lekker/Taylor & Francis.  FL.Pp.457-483