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    • Dr Armaghan Shafaei Darestani
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    • Dr Armaghan Shafaei Darestani

      Dr Armaghan Shafaei Darestani

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Dr Armaghan Shafaei Darestani

Senior Lecturer

Staff Member Details
Telephone: +61 8 6304 5952
Email: a.shafaeidarestani@ecu.edu.au
Campus: Joondalup  
ORCID iD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5763-531X

Armaghan is a Senior Lecturer in Chemistry in the School of Science and Co-Lead of the Centre for Crops and Horticulture Analytics for Nutrition and Climate Excellence (CHANCE), where she supports interdisciplinary research in analytical chemistry, metabolomics, and nutrition.

Current Teaching

  • SCC2211 Organic Chemistry
  • SCC1226 Introduction to Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry
  • SCC3310 Advanced Chemistry

Background

Armaghan received her PhD in Pharmaceutical Chemistry, with research focused on the application of analytical chemistry to investigate the bioactivity, safety, and efficacy of medicinal plants in relation to health conditions such as hypertension, cancer, obesity, and uterine fibroids.

During her Endeavour Postdoctoral Fellowship, awarded by the Australian Government Department of Education and Training, she expanded her research into the fields of metabolomics, nutrition, and epidemiology. In this role, she developed targeted liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS) assays for the identification and quantification of metabolites in human plasma and urine samples to support dietary intervention studies. She later worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), where her research focused on developing targeted and untargeted metabolomics and proteomics methods for the deep phenotyping of biological model systems, including both prokaryotic and eukaryotic systems.

Her current research brings together analytical chemistry, advanced mass spectrometry-based methods, nutrition, health, metabolomics, and forensic science. She has a strong focus on developing robust analytical methods for analysing complex biological samples, with applications in understanding health and disease, supporting nutrition research, and addressing forensic and public health questions.

Professional Memberships

  • 2010 - Malaysian Natural Product Society, MNPS (Member)
  • 2020 - Metabolomics Society (Member)
  • 2022 - American Society for Mass Spectrometry (Member)
  • 2022 - Australia and New Zealand Metabolomics Society (Member)
  • 2024 - Royal Australian Chemical Institute (Member)

Awards and Recognition

  • 2026 - Finalist – Women of Colour in STEM Awards 2026, Scientific Researcher category

National and International Awards

  • 2018 - Endeavour Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (Australian Government Department of Education and Training)
  • 2014 - Gold medal for the invention of an anti-hypertension medicine based on local plants in the 25th international invention, innovation & technology exhibition (ITEX 2014), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • PhD Research Fellowship (University of Science Malaysia)

National and International Research Positions

  • 2019 – Postdoctoral Fellow, held at Norwegian University of Science and Technology (Trondheim, Norway)
  • 2018 – Postdoctoral Research Fellow, held at the University of Western Australia and Edith Cowan University (Australia)

Research Areas and Interests

  • Analytical Chemistry
  • Advanced mass spectrometry-based methods
  • Nutritional metabolomics
  • Clinical and biomedical metabolomics
  • Forensic chemistry and forensic toxicology applications
  • Plant bioactives and food chemistry

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, Malaysia, 2017.

Research Outputs

2026

Journal Articles

  • Hill, C., Balmer, L., Abbiss, H., Hodgson, J., Lewis, J., Shafaei Darestani, A., Blekkenhorst, L. (2026). S-Methyl cysteine sulfoxide: its effects on cardiometabolic outcomes in high-fat fed C57BL/6 mice and relevance to human health. Food & Function, 2026(article in press), pp. https://doi.org/10.1039/d5fo04816h.
  • Senavirathna, T., Shafaei Darestani, A., Lareu, R., Balmer, L. (2026). Ellagic Acid Reduces Inulin's Adverse Effects: A Combined Approach to Enhance Therapeutic Potential in Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, 70(7), e70456. https://doi.org/10.1002/mnfr.70456.
  • Chen, L., Broadhurst, D., Shafaei Darestani, A., Phillips, J., Tang, S., Abbiss, H. (2026). Metabolomics in renal cystic disease: links to mechanisms and identification of pathways for potential prediagnosis. American Journal of Physiology: Renal Physiology, 331(3), F330-F344. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajprenal.00334.2025.

2025

Journal Articles

  • Connolly, E., Liu, A., Woodman, RJ., Shafaei Darestani, A., Wood, LG., Mithen, R., James, AP., Schultz, CJ., Gan, SK., Bondonno, C., Lewis, J., Hodgson, J., Blekkenhorst, L. (2025). Cruciferous vegetables improve glycaemic control compared to root/squash vegetables in a randomized, controlled, crossover trial: The VEgetableS for vaScular hEaLth (VESSEL) study. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism: a journal of pharmacology and therapeutics, 27(8), 4300-4310. https://doi.org/10.1111/dom.16467.
  • Sostaric, M., Abbiss, H., Shafaei Darestani, A. (2025). An Analytical Perspective on Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Methods for the Analysis of Bile Acids in Human Blood Samples. Critical Reviews in Analytical Chemistry, 2025(Article in Press), 17 pages. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408347.2025.2599298.
  • Hill, C., Liu, A., McCahon, L., Zhong, L., Shafaei Darestani, A., Balmer, L., Lewis, J., Hodgson, J., Blekkenhorst, L. (2025). S-methyl cysteine sulfoxide and its potential role in human health: a scoping review. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 65(1), 87-100. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2023.2267133.
  • Hill, C., Shafaei Darestani, A., Boyce, M., Zhong, L., Balmer, L., Lewis, J., Hodgson, J., Blekkenhorst, L. (2025). S-methyl-L-cysteine sulfoxide and glucosinolate levels in Australian-sourced Brassica vegetables before and after domestic cooking. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, 138(2025), article number 107015. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfca.2024.107015.

2024

Journal Articles

  • Shafaei Darestani, A., Hill, C., Hodgson, J., Blekkenhorst, L., Boyce, M. (2024). Simultaneous extraction and quantitative analysis of S-Methyl-L-Cysteine Sulfoxide, sulforaphane and glucosinolates in cruciferous vegetables by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. Food Chemistry: X, 21(2024), article number 101065. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fochx.2023.101065.
  • Hill, C., Connolly, E., Shafaei Darestani, A., Balmer, L., Zhong, L., Muka, T., Hayhoe, A., Saha, S., Woodman, RJ., Lewis, J., Hodgson, J., Blekkenhorst, L. (2024). Development of a food composition database for the estimation of dietary S-methyl cysteine sulfoxide from vegetables. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, 130(2024), article number 106151. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfca.2024.106151.
  • Abbiss, H., Shafaei Darestani, A., Bannister, M., Boyce, M. (2024). Quantitative Determination of Short Chain Fatty Acids in Synthetic Feces Using Gas Chromatography with Flame Ionization Detection or Mass Spectrometry. Journal of Chemical Education, 101(1), 113-119. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.3c00340.
  • Senavirathna, T., Shafaei Darestani, A., Lareu, R., Balmer, L. (2024). Unlocking the Therapeutic Potential of Ellagic Acid for Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis. Antioxidants, 13(4), Article number 485. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox13040485.
  • Connolly, E., Liu, A., Radavelli Bagatini, S., Shafaei Darestani, A., Boyce, M., Wood, LG., McCahon, L., Koch, H., Sim, M., Hill, C., Parmenter, B., Bondonno, N., Devine, A., Croft, KD., Mithen, R., Gan, SK., Schultz, CJ., Woodman, RJ., Bondonno, C., Lewis, J., Hodgson, J., Blekkenhorst, L. (2024). Cruciferous vegetables lower blood pressure in adults with mildly elevated blood pressure in a randomized, controlled, crossover trial: the VEgetableS for vaScular hEaLth (VESSEL) study. BMC Medicine, 22(1), article number 353. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-024-03577-8.
  • Hill, C., Shafaei Darestani, A., Matthews, VB., Ward, NC., Croft, KD., Lewis, J., Hodgson, J., Balmer, L., Blekkenhorst, L. (2024). S-Methyl Cysteine Sulfoxide Does Not Ameliorate Weight Gain or Hyperlipidemia in Mice Fed a High-Fat Diet. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, 68(10), article number 2400034. https://doi.org/10.1002/mnfr.202400034.

2023

Journal Articles

  • Hill, C., Shafaei Darestani, A., Balmer, L., Lewis, J., Hodgson, J., Millar, H., Blekkenhorst, L. (2023). Sulfer compounds: From plants to humans and their role in chronic disease prevention.. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 63(27), 8616-8638. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2022.2057915.

2022

Journal Articles

  • Shafaei Darestani, A., Abbiss, H., Coutts, S., Bannister, M., Bruemmer, J., Boyce, M. (2022). Tocopherols in Seeds and Nuts: QuEChERS Extraction, HPLC Separation, and Fluorescence Detection. Journal of Chemical Education, 99(5), 2093-2100. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.1c01203.

2021

Journal Articles

  • Shafaei Darestani, A., Sostaric, T., Bruemmer, J., Blake, D., Sanfead, T., Unlu, H., Lagesse, H., Boyce, M. (2021). Development of a high-performance thin-layer chromatography method for the analysis of Kakadu plum. Journal of Planar Chromatography: Modern TLC, 34(1), 89-94. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00764-021-00081-0.
  • Shafaei Darestani, A., Rees, J., Christophersen, C., Devine, A., Broadhurst, D., Boyce, M. (2021). Extraction and quantitative determination of bile acids in feces. Analytica Chimica Acta, 1150(15 March 2021), Article 338224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aca.2021.338224.
  • Shafaei Darestani, A., Vamathevan, VV., Pandohee, J., Lawler, N., Broadhurst, D., Boyce, M. (2021). Sensitive and quantitative determination of short-chain fatty acids in human serum using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 413(25), 6333-6342. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-021-03589-w.

2020

Journal Articles

  • Zakaria, N., Mohd, KS., Saeed, MA., Hassan, LE., Shafaei Darestani, A., Al-Suede, FS., Memon, AH., Ismail, Z. (2020). Anti-Uterine Fibroid Effect of Standardized Labisia Pumila Var. Alata Extracts In Vitro and in Human Uterine Fibroid Cancer Xenograft Model. Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention (APJCP), 21(4), 943-951. https://doi.org/10.31557/APJCP.2020.21.4.943.
  • Bondonno, C., Bondonno, N., Shinde, S., Shafaei Darestani, A., Boyce, M., Swinny, E., Jacob, S., Lacey, K., Woodman, R., Croft, K., Considine, M., Hodgson, J. (2020). Phenolic composition of 91 Australian apple varieties: towards understanding their health attributes. Food and Function, 11(8), 7115-7125. https://doi.org/10.1039/d0fo01130d.
  • Røst, LM., Shafaei Darestani, A., Fuchino, K., Bruheim, P. (2020). Zwitterionic HILIC tandem mass spectrometry with isotope dilution for rapid, sensitive and robust quantification of pyridine nucleotides in biological extracts. Journal of Chromatography B: Analytical Technologies in the Biomedical and Life Sciences, 1144(1 May 2020), Article number 122078. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jchromb.2020.122078.
  • Jafaria, SF., Al-Suede, FS., Yehya, AH., Ahamed, MB., Shafaei Darestani, A., Asif, M., Tabana, YM., Majid, AM., Baharetha, HM. (2020). Pharmacokinetics and antiangiogenic studies of potassium koetjapate in rats. Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy, 130(October 2020), Article number 110602. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2020.110602.

2019

Journal Articles

  • Shafaei Darestani, A., Croft, K., Hodgson, J., Boyce, M. (2019). Simultaneous quantitative analysis of polyphenolic compounds in human plasma by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Journal of Separation Science, 42(18), 2909-2921. https://doi.org/10.1002/jssc.201900339.
  • Le, TT., Shafaei Darestani, A., Genoni, A., Christophersen, C., Devine, A., Lo, J., Lyons-Wall, P., Boyce, M. (2019). Development and validation of a simple LC-MS/MS method for the simultaneous quantitative determination of trimethylamine-N-oxide and branched chain amino acids in human serum. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 411(5), 1019–1028. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-018-1522-8.
  • Muhammad, A., Yehya, AH., Dahham, SS., Mohamed, S., Shafaei Darestani, A., Oday Ezzatf, M., Abdul Majid, AS., Oon, CE., Abdul Majid, AM. (2019). Establishment of in vitro and in vivo anti-colon cancer efficacy of essential oils containing oleo-gum resin extract of Mesua ferrea. Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy, 109(January 2019), 1620-1629. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2018.10.127.
  • Esmailli, K., Shafaei Darestani, A., Aisha, A., Al-Suede, F., Majid, A., Ismail, Z. (2019). Evaluation of in vitro cytotoxicity effect of Clinacanthus nutans (Brum. f.) Lindau standardized leaf extracts. Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, 18(11), 2341-2348. https://doi.org/10.4314/tjpr.v18i11.16.

2018

Journal Articles

  • Shafaei Darestani, A., A. Saeed, MA., R. Hami, MS., Ismail, Z. (2018). Application of High Performance Liquid Chromatography and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy Techniques for Evaluating the Stability of Orthosiphon stamineus Ethanolic Extract and Its Nano Liposomes. Brazilian Journal of Pharmacognsosy, 28(6), 658-668. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bjp.2018.07.005.

2017

Journal Articles

  • Asif, M., Shafaei Darestani, A., Abdul Majid, AS., Ezzat, MO., Dahham, SS., Ahamed, MB., Oon, CE., Abdul Majid, AM. (2017). Mesua ferrea stem bark extract induces apoptosis and inhibits metastasis in human colorectal carcinoma HCT 116 cells, through modulation of multiple cell signalling pathways. Chinese Journal of Natural Medicines, 15(7), 505-514. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1875-5364(17)30076-6.
  • Shafaei Darestani, A., Ahmad Saeed, MA., Aisha, AF., Ismail, Z. (2017). Pharmacokinetics and Bioavailability of Orthosiphon stamineus Ethanolic Extract and its Nano Liposomes in Sprague Dawley Rats. International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 9(1), 199-206. https://doi.org/10.22159/ijpps.2017v9i1.12407.
  • Shafaei Darestani, A., Ab Halim, NH., Zakaria, N., Ismail, Z. (2017). Analysis of Free Amino Acids in Different Extracts of Orthosiphon stamineus Leaves by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Combined with Solid-Phase Extraction. Pharmacognosy Magazine, 13(51), S385-S391. https://doi.org/10.4103/0973-1296.216337.

2016

Journal Articles

  • Muhammad, A., Shafaei Darestani, A., Jafari, SF., Mohamed, SK., Ezzat, MO., Abdul Majid, AS., Oon, CE., Petersen, SH., Kono, K., Abdul Majid, AM. (2016). Isoledene from Mesua ferrea oleo-gum resin induces apoptosis in HCT 116 cells through ROS-mediated modulation of multiple proteins in the apoptotic pathways: A mechanistic study. Toxicology Letters, 257(22 August 2016), 84-96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxlet.2016.05.027.
  • Farsi, E., Esmailli, K., Shafaei Darestani, A., Moradi Khaniabadi, P., Al Hindi, B., Ahamed, MB., Sandai, D., Abdul Sattar, M., Ismail, Z., Abdul Majid, AM., Abdul Majid, AS. (2016). Mutagenicity and Preclinical Safety Assessment of The Aqueous Extract of Clinacanthus nutans Leaves. Drug and Chemical Toxicology: an international journal for rapid communication, 39(4), 461-473. https://doi.org/10.3109/01480545.2016.1157810.
  • Shafaei Darestani, A., Sultan Khan, MS., Aisha , AF., Majid , AM., Hamdan, MR., Mordi , MN., Ismail, Z. (2016). Flavonoids-rich Orthosiphon stamineus Extract as New Candidate for Angiotensin I-Converting Enzyme Inhibition: A Molecular Docking Study. Molecules, 21(11), Article number 1500. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules21111500.
  • Farsi, E., Esmailli, K., Shafaei Darestani, A., Ahamed, MB., Abdul Majid, AS., Abdul Sattar, MZ., Abdul Majid, AM. (2016). Preclinical safety assessment and mutagenicity of the hydroethanolic extract of Syzygium campanulatum leaves. International Journal of Phytomedicine, 8(4), 514-524. https://doi.org/10.5138/09750185.1955.

2015

Journal Articles

  • Shafaei Darestani, A., Esmailli, K., Farsi, E., Aisha, AF., Abul Majid, AM., Ismail, Z. (2015). Genotoxicity, acute and subchronic toxicity studies of nano liposomes of Orthosiphon stamineus ethanolic extract in Sprague Dawley rats. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 360(15), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-015-0885-z.
  • Shafaei Darestani, A., Aisha, AF., Ahmad Siddiqui, MJ., Ismail, Z. (2015). Analysis of L-Citrulline and L-Arginine in Ficus deltoidea Leaf Extracts by Reverse Phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography. Pharmacognosy Research, 7(1), 32-37. https://doi.org/10.4103/0974-8490.147196.

2014

Journal Articles

  • Shafaei Darestani, A., Muslim, NS., Nassar, ZD., Aisha, AF., Abdul Majid, AM., Ismail, Z. (2014). Antiangiogenic Effect of Ficus deltoidea Jack Standardised Leaf Extracts. Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, 13(5), 761-768. https://doi.org/10.4314/tjpr.v13i5.16.

2013

Journal Articles

  • Farsi, E., Shafaei Darestani, A., Hor, SY., Ahamed, MB., Yam, MF., Asmawi, MZ., Ismail, Z. (2013). Genotoxicity and acute and subchronic toxicity studies of a standardized methanolic extract of ficus deltoidea leaves. Clinics, 68(6), 865-875. https://doi.org/10.6061/clinics/2013(06)23.

2012

Journal Articles

  • Muslim, NS., Nassar, ZD., Aisha, AF., Shafaei Darestani, A., Idris, N., Abdul Majid, AM., Ismail, Z. (2012). Antiangiogenesis and Antioxidant Activity of Ethanol Extracts of Pithecellobium Jiringa. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 12(5 November 2012), Article number 1171. https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6882-12-210.
  • Shafaei Darestani, A., Farsi, E., Ismail, Z., Asmawi, MZ. (2012). Quantitative High Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography Method for Analysis of Vitexin and Isovitexin in Extracts of Leaves of Ficus deltoidea. Asian Journal of Chemistry: an international peer reviewed research journal of chemistry, 24(5), 2283-2286.

2011

Journal Articles

  • Shafaei Darestani, A., Farsi, E., Khadeer Ahamed, B., Ahmad Siddiqui, MJ., Attitalla, IH., Zhari, I., Asmawi, MZ. (2011). Evaluation of toxicological and standardization parameters and phytochemical investigation of Ficus deltoidea leaves. American Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 1(3), 237-243. https://doi.org/10.3923/ajbmb.2011.237.243.
  • Farsi, E., Shafaei Darestani, A., Hor, SY., Ahamed, MB., Yam, M., Attitalla, IH., Asmawi, MZ., Ismail, Z. (2011). Correlation between enzymes inhibitory effects and antioxidant activities of standardized fractions of methanolic extract obtained from Ficus deltoidea leaves. African Journal of Biotechnology, 10(67), 15184-15194. https://doi.org/10.5897/AJB11.1365.

Research Projects

  • Creating a new Forensic Capability in WA by using the Human Hair Shaft Proteome for Protein-based Human Identification., Western Australian Treasury Corporation, Grant, 2025 ‑ 2027, $210,909.
  • Development of a Routine Forensic Process for Individual Identification using Genetically Variant Peptides in Human Hair Evidence , Chemistry Centre WA T/A ChemCentre, Top Up Scholarship, 2022 ‑ 2026, $52,500.
  • Metabolomics for Asthma Prediction 2 (MAP-2), Perth Children's Hospital, Grant, 2023 ‑ 2025, $243,343.
  • Exploring the health effects of S-methyl cysteine sulfoxide for the prevention of type 2 diabetes, Edith Cowan University, Early-Mid Career Researcher Grant Scheme 2022 (Stream 2), 2023 ‑ 2024, $39,511.
  • Sponsorship Agreement for Research Fellow in Analytical Chemistry/Proteomics, Chemistry Centre WA T/A ChemCentre, Research Fellowship Grant, 2017 ‑ 2023, $701,666.

Research Student Supervision

Current Supervisions

Principal Supervisor

  • Master of Science by Research, Development and validation of a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for the identification and quantification of an array of bile acids in human plasma samples to better understand irritable bowel syndrome

Co-principal Supervisor

  • Doctor of Philosophy, Metabolomics-Based Investigation of Potential Pre-Diagnostic Metabolic Alterations in Polycystic Kidney Disease.

Associate Supervisor

  • Master of Science by Research, Development and evaluation of a GC-MS/MS method for the quantification of gamma hydroxybutyrate in hair
  • Doctor of Philosophy, The role of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria in mitigating drought stress in urban turfgrass
  • Master of Medical and Health Science by Research, The Impact of Obesity and Fatty Acid Profiles on Human Semen Parameters for a Western Australian Cohort
  • Doctor of Philosophy, Development of a Routine Forensic Process for Individual Identification using Genetically Variant Peptides in Human Hair Evidence

Completed Supervisions

Associate Supervisor

  • Doctor of Philosophy, Diet quality and mental health: how does improved cooking confidence after a food literacy cooking program affect mental health outcomes and associations with dietary and gut biomarkers of the gut-brain axis.?
  • Doctor of Philosophy, Dietary S-methyl cysteine sulfoxide and human health: Mechanisms of action and cardiometabolic effects.
  • Doctor of Philosophy, Efficacy of ellagic acid and its microbial metabolites in a diet-induced mouse model of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)
  • Doctor of Philosophy, Characterisation of Genetically Variant Proteins Using High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry for Taxonomic Assignment of Biological Evidence in The Forensic Setting
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