Winston Hua
‘Prebiotic effects of partially hydrolysed guar gum in individuals with gastroparesis’
Western Sydney University, NSW
Awarded 2022
Co-funded by Rotary Club of Youngtown
“Being interested in the gut, I wanted to pursue in a similar area. I wanted to do something involving diets and the gut microbiome since they both play such a big part in our lives. ”
Researcher Profile
I am someone who likes to enjoy life, and one of the best enjoyment for me is being in the lab running experiments. I am particularly interested in the bacteria in the gut due to my research in university. The gut bacteria, also known as the gut microbiota, makes up such a big part of us humans, yet we still know very little about it.
We do know there are complex interactions between the gut microbiota and ourselves. For me, I would like to be at the forefront of the research and help translate health benefits for humans.
Project Summary
The prebiotic properties of partially hydrolysed guar gum (PHGG) have been explored in several in vitro (stool culture) and animal studies demonstrating it to provide a favourable environment for beneficial bacteria (Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium ) growth. In addition, PHGG has the ability to ferment for longer periods in the gut, resulting in more amounts of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) than other fibres. However, the ability for PHGG to modulate the whole gut microbiome has not been investigated along with the importance of the starting gut microbiota composition before PHGG intervention. In this study we propose to evaluate prebiotic effects of PHGG in the gut microbiome patients with gastroparesis and its effects on associated clinical indicators (symptoms and bowel habit).
The primary aim of this project is to: evaluate the role and tolerability of PHGG as a prebiotic in patients with gastroparesis.
Supervisors: Dr Jerry Zhou and Dr Vincent Ho