Research Bears Fruit Dr. Robert Brannan’s pawpaw research offers local fruit a potential debut on the national market. Story by Brian Vadakin Photos by Rob Hardin
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cross between a mango and a banana … It almost has the aftertaste of an orange rind.” That is how Katie Black describes the pawpaw, a tropical-like fruit native to Southeastern Ohio. Black, an HTC sophomore studying Biological Sciences, is working alongside Dr. Robert Brannan, and several graduate students on research that focuses on the antioxidant properties of the pawpaw. Antioxidants are a class of molecules that prevents the oxidation process in other molecules. Too many oxidation reactions can be harmful to living tissue—a reason antioxidants have been marketed as health supple-
ments in recent years. Antioxidants similar to those found in the pawpaw have been shown to be particularly effective at preventing harmful oxidation reactions. Brannan, an associate professor of applied health sciences and wellness, has completed various research studies of the pawpaw, especially concerning its health benefits, but he is now turning his attention to the viability of the antioxidants found in the fruit to be used as an inhibitor of lipid oxidation – the cause of reduced shelf life in meat products. Currently, the meat industry uses synthetic antioxidants to prevent lipid oxidation, but Brannan believes antioxidants in the pawpaw could provide a