The hard work of students like Muhammad Kamran could make a difference across the world.
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For some, it could change and save lives.
Dr Kamran was one of 11 students awarded a PhD from Charles Sturt University’s Wagga campus on Tuesday morning.
The 39-year-old graduated from the Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation, following more than three years of bio-medical research.
Dr Kamran hoped to find a way to prevent diabetes, using olive-leaf extracts.
He said the compounds found in the leaves – biophenols – were being used for a number of purposes across nutraceutical, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.
“More people are looking to natural products for treatments,” Mr Kamran said. “That’s what inspired me.”
Across 3.5 years, the doctoral candidate discovered the best way to harvest and process olive leaves, maximising the yield of the biophenols.
“It has the potential to treat chronic health issues like diabetes – health issues that are challenging world,” Dr Kamran said.
“As a nutritionist, I’ve always been curious about the uses of natural products.”
While trialling the product on pre-diabetic test subjects, Dr Kamran said there was a clear and strong suppression of the “enzyme for sugar activity”.
However, he said more research would be necessary for a clear result.
“There needs to be more parties involved in a very controlled trial,” he said.
“It’s very difficult to control the test subjects.
“People are not like animals … if they don’t take their capsule one day, the trial wont work.”
Dr Kamran said biophenols were already being used to treat various skin conditions. Now, due to his research, the compounds can be processed and harvested in the most beneficial way.
“I hope it will lead to the development of higher quality olive leaf extract, which may greatly benefit treatment or prevention of a number of chronic health issues,” he said.
“I would love to continue my research, if given the opportunity.”
Having completed his PhD, the Pakistani-Wagga man said he intended to stay in the city he had called home for six years.