Dr Jiale Zhang

Research Officer

Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation

jiale.zhang@uq.edu.au

Researcher biography

Jiale Zhang is a researcher in food science and nutrition at The University of Queensland, with expertise in functional foods, food processing, and bioactive compounds. My current work focuses on how food components change during processing, digestion, and fermentation, and how these changes influence nutrition, gut health, and product quality. I am also working on the product development.

My research brings together food chemistry, metabolomics, and microbiome science to better understand the relationship between food composition and health outcomes. I have worked extensively on Australian native fruits with a particular interest in developing value-added food products and sustainable food materials.

My main areas of expertise include:

Functional foods and bioactive compounds
Digestion and colonic fermentation models
Gut microbiota and food–microbe interactions
Untargeted and targeted metabolomics

Publications

Journal Articles (5)

Conference Papers (9)

Thesis (1)

Journal Articles

Cele, Nobahle Pretty, Kewuyemi, Yusuf Olamide, Adiamo, Oladipupo, Bobasa, Eshetu Mulisa, Zhang, Jiale, Seididamyeh, Maral, Sultanbawa, Yasmina F. and Sivakumar, Dharini (2026). Probiotic Lactic Acid Bacteria-Fermented Beverages from Bambara Groundnut and Cowpea Sprouts Modulate Gut Microbiota and Short-Chain Fatty Acids. Foods, 15 (7) 1141, 1141-7. doi: 10.3390/foods15071141

Zhang, Jiale, Phan, Anh Dao Thi, Netzel, Michael E., Pengelly, Andrew, Sivakumar, Dharini and Sultanbawa, Yasmina (2025). Exploring the functional food potential of edible persoonia spp.: nutritional composition, bioactive properties and phenolic metabolomics. Food Chemistry, 495 (1) 146355, 146355. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.146355

Zhang, Jiale, Netzel, Michael E., Pengelly, Andrew, Sivakumar, Dharini and Sultanbawa, Yasmina (2023). A review of phytochemicals and bioactive properties in the Proteaceae family: a promising source of functional food. Antioxidants, 12 (11) 1952, 1-32. doi: 10.3390/antiox12111952

Phan, Anh Dao Thi, Zhang, Jiale, Seididamyeh, Maral, Srivarathan, Sukirtha, Netzel, Michael E., Sivakumar, Dharini and Sultanbawa, Yasmina (2022). Hydrolysable tannins, physicochemical properties, and antioxidant property of wild-harvested Terminalia ferdinandiana (exell) fruit at different maturity stages. Frontiers in Nutrition, 9 961679, 961679. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2022.961679

Zhang, Jiale, Phan, Anh Dao Thi, Srivarathan, Sukirtha, Akter, Saleha, Sultanbawa, Yasmina and Cozzolino, Daniel (2021). Proximate composition, functional and antimicrobial properties of wild harvest Terminalia carpentariae fruit. Journal of Food Measurement and Characterization, 16 (1), 582-589. doi: 10.1007/s11694-021-01182-4

Conference Papers

Zhang, Jiale, Netzel, Michael, Phan, Anh Dao Thi, Pengelly, Andrew, Sivakumar, Dharini and Sultanbawa, Yasmina (2026). Metabolic fate of Australian native Persoonia falcata fruit metabolites during in vitro digestion using an untargeted metabolomics analysis approach. QMSS2026, St Lucia, QLD Australia, 28-29 January 2026.

Zhang, Jiale, Phan, Anh Dao Thi, Netzel, Michael E., Pengelly, Andrew, Sivakumar, Dharini and Sultanbawa, Yasmina (2025). Physicochemical, phytochemical, nutritional, and bioactive properties of Australian native Persoonia spp.. Global Food Systems Leadership Program, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 4 November 2025.

Zhang, Jiale, Sivakumaran, Dharini, Netzel, Michael E., Pengelly, Andrew and Sultanbawa, Yasmina (2024). Understanding of bioactivities of Australian Persoonia spp.. 22nd World Congress of Food Science and Technology, Rimini, Italy, 8-12 September 2024.

Zhang, Jiale, Sivakumaran, Dharini, Netzel, Michael E., Phan, Anh Dao Thi, Pengelly, Andrew and Sultanbawa, Yasmina (2024). Analysis of polyphenolic composition of Persoonia linearis fruits using untargeted metabolomics. 8th International Symposium on Phytochemicals in Medicine and Food (8-ISPMF), Shenyang, China, 2-6 August 2024.

Zhang, J., Sivakumar, D., Netzel, M.E. and Sultanbawa, Y. (2024). Minerals and trace elements in broad-leaved Geebung (Persoonia stradbrokensis), an underutilised native Australian fruit. 57th Nutrition Society of New Zealand and 47th Nutrition Society of Australia Joint Annual Scientific Meeting, Auckland, New Zealand, 28 November – 1 December 2023. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. doi: 10.1017/s0029665124000740

Zhang, Jiale, Phan, Anh Dao Thi, Netzel, Michael E., Pengelly, Andrew, Sivakumaran, Dharini and Sultanbawa, Yasmina (2024). Bioactive properties of Australian native Persoonia spp.. Joint virtual workshop between the Centre for Nutrition and Food Sciences (CNAFS), Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI), The University of Queensland, Australia and the Tshwane University of Technology, South Africa, Promoting Health and Food Security with Indigenous Crops, Online, 5-6 March 2024.

Zhang, Jiale, Sivakumaran, Dharini, Netzel, Michael E. and Sultanbawa, Yasmina (2023). Minerals and trace elements in broad-leaved Geebung (Persoonia stradbrokensis), an underutilised native Australian fruit. Nutrition and Wellbeing in Oceania, Joint Conference of the Nutrition Societies of New Zealand and Australia, Auckland, New Zealand, 28 November-1 December 2023.

Zhang, Jiale, Thi Phan, Anh Dao, Netzel, Michael, Sultanbawa, Yasmina and Pengelly, Andrew (2023). Bioactive properties of wild-harvested Persoonia spp. at different maturity stages. Key Technologies in the Bioeconomy: A Global Bioeconomy Alliance Conference, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 27-29 September 2023. Brisbane, QLD Australia: The University of Queensland.

Phan, A., Zhang, J., Seididamyeh, M., Srivarathan, S., Netzel, M., Sivakumar, D. and Sultanbawa, Y. (2022). Maturity effect on selected quality parameters in wild-harvested Terminalia ferdinandiana (Exell) fruit. TROPAG, International Agriculture Conference, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 31 October-2 November 2022.

Thesis

Zhang, Jiale (2026). Quality, phytochemicals, bioactivities, and gut microbiome modulation of different Geebung (Persoonia spp.). PhD Thesis, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/f49b5e2