Laurence Melton

Professor of Food Science, University of Auckland
Educator, Nutrigenomics New Zealand

Research specialty: Interactions of food molecules

Academic qualifications

MSc in Physical Chemistry, University of Auckland, 1965

PhD in Organic Chemistry, Simon Fraser University, Canada, 1971

Distinctions/Honours

Fellow of International Academy of Food Science and Technology, 2008
Titular Member of Chemistry and Environment Division of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry,  2006-2009
Fulbright Research Scholar, 1990-1991
National President of the NZ Institute of Food Science & Technology, 1987-1989
JC Andrews Award (Premier NZIFST award), 1996
Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, 1981
Fellow of the American Institute of Chemists, 1983
Fellow of NZ Institute of Food Science & Technology, 1987
Fellow of the NZ Institute of Chemistry, 1988

Employment record

2006--present        Principal Scientist, Riddet Food and Biological Research Centre of Research Excellence 
1996 - present Director of the Food Science Programmes and Professor of Food Chemistry at the University of Auckland
1976-1996   Lecturer in Food Chemistry at the University of Otago, rising to Professor of Food Science. Acting HoD at various times from 1987
1973-1975  Scientist/Manager, Unilever Research, Colworth House,      Bedfordshire, UK
1971-1973  Postdoctoral Fellow, Physiology Institute, University of Marburg,     Germany
1964-1966   Scientific Officer, Biochemistry Laboratory, Auckland Public Hospital

Key Publications

• BOOTTEN TJ, HARRIS PJ, MELTON LD, NEWMAN RH. WAXS and 13C NMR of Gluconoacetobacter xylinus cellulose in composites with tamarind xyloglucan. Carbohydrate Research 343, 221-229 (2008).
• SUN-WATERHOUSE D, SMITH BG, O'CONNOR CJ and MELTON LD. Effect of raw and cooked onion dietary fibre on the antioxidant activity of ascorbic acid and quercetin. Food Chemistry 111, 580-585 (2008).
• SUN-WATERHOUSE D, MELTON LD, O'CONNOR CJ, KILMARTIN PA, SMITH BG. Effects of apple cell walls and their extracts on the activity of dietary antioxidants. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 56, 289-295 (2008).
• PAN GG , MELTON LD. Nonenzymic browning of lactose and caseinate during dry heating at different relative  humidities. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 55 1003-10042 (2007).
• MELTON LD, KURTOVIC I and SMITH BG.  Search for the smallest cellulose microfibril. Mitteilungen der Bundesforschungsanstalt fur Forst- und Holzwirtschaft 223, 21-28 (2007).
•  XIONG S, MELTON LD, EASTEAL AJ and SIEW D. Stability and antioxidant activity of black currant anthocyanins in solution and encapsulated in glucan gel. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 54 6201-6208 (2006).
• PAN GG, OLIVER CM and MELTON LD.  ?-Dicarbonyl compounds formed by nonenzymatic browning during the  dry heating of caseinates and lactose. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 54 6852-6857 (2006)
• ZHANG J, STANLEY RA,ADAIM A, MELTON LD and SKINNER MA. Free radical scavenging and cytoprotective activities of phenolic antioxidants. Molecular Nutrition and Food Research 50 996-1005 (2006).
• ZHANG J, STANLEY RA and MELTON LD. Lipid peroxidation inhibition capacity assay for antioxidants based on liposomal membranes. Molecular Nutrition and Food Research 50 714-724 (2006).
• OLIVER CM, MELTON LD and STANLEY RA. Glycation of caseinate by fructose and fructo-oligosaccharides during controlled heat treatment in the 'dry' state. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 86 722-731 (2006).
• OLIVER  CM, MELTON LD and STANLEY RA. Functional properties of caseinate glycoconjugates prepared by controlled heating in the 'dry' state. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 86 732-740 (2006).
• PAN GG and MELTON LD. Lactones of disialyl lactose: characterisation by NMR and mass spectra. Carbohydrate Research 341 730-737 (2006).
• RHODES PL, MITCHELL JW, WILSON MW and MELTON LD. Antilisterial activity of grape juice and grape extracts derived from Vitis vinifera variety Ribier. International Journal of Food Microbiology 107 281-286 (2006).
• OLIVER CM, MELTON LD and STANLEY RA. Creating Proteins with Novel Functionality via the Maillard Reaction: A Review. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 46 337-350 (2006).
• PAN  GG  and  MELTON  LD. Analysis of sialyl oligosaccharides by high-performance liquid chromatography-electospray ionisation-mass spectrometry with differentiation of ?2-3 and ?2-6 sialyl linkages.  Journal of Chromatography A  1077  136-142  (2005).
• OLIVER CM, MELTON LD and STANLEY RA. Creation of Functional Caseinate Glycoconjugates via the Maillard Reaction. Proceedings of the 35th Research Conference in Food, Nutrition and Consumer Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland, 1-2 September 2005
• MELTON  LD  and  SMITH  BG. Isolation of plant cell walls and fractionation of cell wall polysaccharides. In: Handbook of Food Analytical Chemistry : Water, Proteins,                  Enzymes, Lipids and Carbohydrates. Ed. RE Wrolstad, John Wiley & Sons , Hoboken, New Jersey, 2005, pp. 697-719.
• MELTON  LD  and  SMITH  BG.  Cell wall polysaccharides: Determination of neutral sugars by gas chromatography of their alditol acetates. In:  Handbook of  Food Analytical Chemistry: Water, Proteins, Enzymes, Lipids and Carbohydrates. Ed. RE Wrolstad, John Wiley & Sons,  Hoboken, New Jersey, 2005, pp. 721-733.
• MELTON  LD and  SMITH  BG.  Determination of the uronic acid content of plant cell walls using a colorimetric assay. In:  Handbook of  Food Analytical Chemistry: Water, Proteins, Enzymes, Lipids and Carbohydrates. Ed. RE Wrolstad, John Wiley & Sons,  Hoboken, New Jersey, 2005, pp. 735-738.
• MELTON  LD  and  SMITH  BG. Determining the degree of methylation and acetylation of pectin. In:  Handbook of  Food Analytical Chemistry: Water, Proteins, Enzymes, Lipids and Carbohydrates. Ed. RE Wrolstad, John Wiley & Sons,  Hoboken, New Jersey, 2005, pp. 739-744.
• OLIVER  C,  MELTON  L  and  STANLEY  R. Creating caseinate glycoconjugates with novel functionality through the Maillard reaction.  Annals of  New York Academy of Sciences, 1043 891 (2005).   
• REED AB, O'CONNOR CJ, SMITH BG and MELTON LD.  Determination of sugar composition in grapevine rootstock cuttings used for propagation.  American Journal of Enology and Viticulture, 55 181-186 (2004).
• BOOTTEN TJ, HARRIS PJ, MELTON LD and NEWMAN RH.  Solid-state 13C-NMR spectroscopy shows that the xyloglucans in the primary cell walls of mung bean (Vigna radiata L.) occur in different domains: a new model for xyloglucan - cellulose interactions in the cell wall. Journal of Experimental Botany 55 571-583 (2004).
• RATNAYAKE RMS, HURST PL and MELTON LD.  Influence of cultivar storage and cooking on the mechanical properties of winter squash Cucurbita maxima.  Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 84 433-440 (2004).
• O'CONNOR CJ, SUN DX, SMITH BG and MELTON LD.  The inhibitory effects of brans and their aqueous extracts on the lipolysis of tributyrin catalysed by calf pregastric lipase.  Journal of Food Science 68 1818-1825 (2003).
• RATNAYAKE RMS, MELTON LD and HURST PL.  Influence of cultivar, cooking and storage on cell-wall polysaccharide composition of winter squash (Cucurbita maxima). Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 51 1904-1913 (2003).
• O'CONNOR CJ, SUN DD, SMITH BG and MELTON LD.  Effect of soluble dietary fibers on lipase catalyzed hydrolysis of tributyrin. Journal of Food Science 68 1093-1099 (2003)