Research

As the national university, we champion and support innovative research that addresses the country’s most pressing challenges.

28 Aug 2025

PH reproductive health law needs to better address contraceptive access for lower-income women

The implementation of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law represents a major policy shift aimed at increasing access to...

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27 Aug 2025

Despite centuries of stigma, babywearing survives as a marginalized practice turned into a trend

For centuries, Indigenous communities in the Philippines and around the world have used baby carriers and slings to help them...

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13 Aug 2025

Food safety risk assessment will help the Philippines manage shellfish-related hepatitis A virus health risks

This study gathered information to establish baseline data on the potential risks of the hepatitis A virus (HAV) in the...

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08 Jul 2025

UP Manila

Deep learning with convolutional neural networks to assess rice plant diseases performs very well

As with many Asian countries, rice is a principal food in the Philippines providing nearly half of the daily caloric...

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07 Jul 2025

Nurse-led eHealth cardiac rehabilitation helps patients transition to home life

This research looks at how people with coronary heart disease (CHD) view a nurse-led eHealth cardiac rehabilitation (NeCR) program. The...

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04 Jul 2025

Food safety risk assessment is a practical and effective way to evaluate the safety of locally consumed shellfish

This study gathered information to establish baseline information on the potential risks of the Hepatitis A Virus (HAV) in the...

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01 Jul 2025

Regional unity in ASEAN can grow through shared values like religiosity, humanitarianism and cultural expression

This paper explores how ASEAN identity among Southeast Asia countries can be realized by applying the concepts of “shared cultural...

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13 Jun 2025

UP Los Baños

Large language models offer many opportunities but also pose considerable challenges

With the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, the availability of data, and the advancement of hardware technologies, applications such...

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10 Jun 2025

UP

A virtual health and physical education program during COVID-19 struggled with low student engagement and ineffective online assessment

The study explored a virtual health and physical education program implemented during COVID-19 school closures. It centered on practices, teacher...

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09 Jun 2025

UP Diliman

There is a weak relationship between 3D mandibular shape and diet in extant primates

This is a study that uses 3D shape analyses to investigate if there is a relationship between mandible shape in...

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09 Jun 2025

UP Diliman

The presumed invisibility and “mute” voices of Pinay lesbian writers parallel the similar invisibility of nature in Philippine anthologies

In the introduction to Tingle: Anthology of Pinay Lesbian Writing (2021), the anthology’s editor, Jhoanna Lynn B. Cruz, points to...

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03 Jun 2025

UP Diliman

AI can enhance conceptual understanding and boost self-confidence in mathematics

AI is increasingly integrated into educational settings, offering personalized learning experiences that adapt to individual needs. While AI has the...

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Research

This study looked at how adding supplements like rapeseed oil, dried wasabi powder, and dried chili pepper powder changes the properties of cooked rice. The researchers used different methods to see how these supplements affect the rice, especially at how the starch is digested. They found that the rice became firmer, thinner, and less sticky when the supplements were added. Results also showed that the rice’s chemical structure changed, which means that the supplements interacted with the rice in new ways.

A key finding was that the supplements increased the amount of resistant starch in the rice. Resistant starch is a type of starch that is harder for the body to digest, and has benefits of improving blood sugar control and supporting gut health. The texture of the rice also became looser. This likely occurred because the starch and supplements worked together to change the rice’s structure.

The results of this study help us understand how these supplements can enhance rice’s texture and make it healthier. By looking at how these changes occur at a molecular level, the study shows how supplements can affect the digestibility and nutritional value of rice. The findings are crucial for developing functional foods with enhanced starch digestibility, offering potential health benefits. Additionally, the study contributes to the broader knowledge of how food supplements can alter the properties of starchy foods, paving the way for creating innovative, health-oriented food products.

Authors: Lin Wang (Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University), Yidi Cai (College of Food Science and Engineering, Dalian Ocean University), Peeraphat Prempree (Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University), Rili Hao (Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University | Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Human Health in Universities of Shandong | College of Food Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University), Dahai Jiang (Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University), Loraine Bainto-Ancheta (Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University | Institute of Food Science and Technology, University of the Philippines Los Baños), and Yukiharu Ogawa

Read the full paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-75847-7