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HDR Seminar: Impact of wild harvest, region and processing on the quality and functionality of Terminalia ferdinandiana Exell fruits

1 July 2021 @ 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Thesis Review Seminar

Thursday July 1st, 2pm-3pm, 10.G.616, Health and Food Sciences Precinct, Block 10, 39 Kessels Rd, Coopers Plains, QLD

Zoom link: https://uqz.zoom.us/j/81968304308

Presented by: Eshetu Bobasa, Centre for Nutrition and Food Sciences

Advisory team: Prof Yasmina Sultanbawa, A/Prof Daniel Cozzolino, Dr Michael Netzel, Dr Anh Dao Thi Phan

About this seminar

Kakadu plum (KP; Terminalia ferdinandiana Exell, Combretaceae) is an indigenous fruit originating from Northern Australia, with valuable health and nutritional characteristics. The challenge of using any plant material in food applications is its variability in chemical properties as these parameters are affected by the growing conditions, genetics, geography and other factors. In wild harvested products the variation is even greater and this applies to KP which is wild harvested across Northern Australia by Indigenous communities.  The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of wild harvest, region and processing on the quality and functionality of Terminalia ferdinandiana Exell fruits wild harvested from Western Australia (WA) and Northern Territory (NT). The study employs rapid non-destructive techniques and conventional methods to monitor KP fruit quality. The results of this study revealed the ability of NIR and MIR spectroscopy to measure moisture, total soluble solids, predict vitamin C and ellagic acid contents and discriminate and monitor effect of processing in wild harvested KP fruits. The chemical analysis revealed seven HTs with five classified as ellagitannins, gallic acid (2.5 and 2.2 mg/g DW), punicalagins α and β (2.8 and 1.3 mg/g DW) and ellagic acid (~4 g/100 g DW) in the KP fruits wild harvested from NT. On the other hand, blanching significantly reduced the level of vitamin C in whole fruits wild harvested from WA. Furthermore, a relatively lower level of bioactive compounds (vitamin C and ellagic acid (EA)) has been obtained in KP fruits wild harvested from WA showing EA in the range of 19.00±0.40 to 49.22±1.30 mg/g DW and vitamin C: – 25.20±0.16 to 131.50±0.20 mg/g DW. However, these KP fruits exhibited high level of total sugar (12.6 to 22.2 g/100g DW) in comparison to KP fruits from NT having 5.2±0.82 g/100g DW total sugar. The total phenolic contents (TPC), 78 to 195 mg GAE/g DW was comparable between the two regions NT vs WA. Furthermore, the fruit extracts exhibited promising antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties.  These indicate that KP fruits wild harvested from Kimberley is a good source of natural EA, Vitamin C, total sugars and offers a potential protection against free radical and inflammation induced cellular damage demonstrating wide range of application in the food, nutraceutical and complementary medicine industries.

Details

Date:
1 July 2021
Time:
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Event Category:
Event Tags:
,
Website:
https://uqz.zoom.us/j/81968304308

Organiser

HDR Student

Venue

Online