Publication Categories: Research publications

(2020) A Mid Infrared (MIR) Spectroscopy Study of the Composition of Edible Australian Green Ants (Oecophylla smaragdina)—a Qualitative Study. Food Analytical Methods, 13, 1627-1633.

(2020) A Practical Approach on the Combination of GC-MS and Chemometric Tools to Study Australian Edible Green Ants. Food Analytical Methods, 13, 1475-1481.

(2021) A practical chemometric approach using UPLC–QTOF/MS tool to investigate three varieties of pumpkin species and in vitro bioactivities

(2019) Acacia seed proteins: Low or high quality? A comprehensive review. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety. 19(1) 1541- 

(2020) An infrared analysis of Terminalia ferdinandiana exell [Combretaceae] fruit and leaves—towards the development of biospectroscopy tools to characterise uniquely Australian foods

(2016). Anise Myrtle (Syzygium anisatum) Oils. In Victor R. Preedy (Ed.), Essential Oils in Food Preservation, Flavor and Safety (pp. 215-218) Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Elsevier. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-416641-7.00023-7

(2021) Anti-Yeast Synergistic Effects and Mode of Action of Australian Native Plant Essential Oils

(2020) Antimicrobial activity, total phenolic and ascorbic acid content of Terminalia ferdinandiana leaves at various stages of maturity

(2019) Antioxidant-rich extracts of Terminalia ferdinandiana interfere with estimation of cell viability. Antioxidants, 8 6.

(2021) Assessing the interaction between drying and addition of maltodextrin to Kakadu plum powder samples by two dimensional and near infrared spectroscopy

(2017). Australian native plants: Anti-obesity and anti-inflammatory properties. In Australian Native Plants: Cultivation and Uses in the Health and Food Industries

(2016). Australian native plants: anti-obesity and anti-inflammatory properties. In Yasmina Sultanbawa and Fazal Sultanbawa (Ed.), Australian Native Plants: Cultivation and Uses in the Health and Food Industries (pp. 237-249) Boca Raton, Florida, United States: CRC Press – Taylor & Francis Group. doi:10.1201/b20635-21

(2017) Bioactive rich extracts from Terminalia ferdinandiana by enzyme-assisted extraction: a simple food safe extraction method. Journal of Medicinal Plants Research, 11 5: 96-106.

(2018) Biochemical and functional properties of indigenous Australian herbal infusions. Food Bioscience, 26 133-138.

(2021) Biochemical basis of resistance to pod borer (Helicoverpa armigera) in Australian wild relatives of pigeonpea

(2020) Biochemical, antioxidant and sensory evaluation of Davidsonia pruriens and Davidsoina jerseyana fruit infusion.  Food Chemistry, (In press, Corrected proof).

(2018) Buchanania obovata : An Australian Indigenous food for diet diversification : Buchanania obovata : An Australian Indigenous food. Nutrition & Dietetics.

(2018) Buchanania obovata: functionality and phytochemical profiling of the Australian native green plum. Foods, 7 5.

Recently, interest in ‘bush tucker’ foods has surged. Indigenous Australians should be empowered to determine how their knowledge is used when these products are commercialised. To exercise control over the development of the native foods industry, Indigenous Australians could establish a certification regime to ensure that their knowledge is appropriately converted into commercial products. This could be done through the strategic use of intellectual property, specifically through certification trade marks. Creating a certification mark for native foods could represent an important part of a decolonial policy agenda aimed at reimagining the regulation of native biodiversity and cultural knowledge in Australia.

(2021) Challenges and opportunities of the fourth revolution: a brief insight into the future of food

Changes in quality and bioactivity of native food during storage. Canberra, Australia: Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC), 2015.

(2018) Chemical and nutritional composition of Terminalia ferdinandiana (kakadu plum) kernels: a novel nutrition source. Foods, 7 4: 60.

(2022) Chemical composition of bunya nuts (Araucaria bidwillii) compared to Araucaria angustifolia and Araucaria araucana species

Three of nineteen Araucaria tree species from around the world produce large edible seeds. While composition is established for edible pinhão and piñones nuts from Brazil and Chile, respectively, the first detailed characterisation for the composition of edible Araucaria bidwillii (bunya nut) from Australia is provided. Almost half of the kernel weight is moisture and the main component in the dried kernel is starch. Whilst low in protein and fat, it contains all essential amino acids and half the fatty acids are polyunsaturated (Omega-3 and 6). Bunya nuts are a source of dietary fibre, folate and minerals (Cu, Mn, Fe, Mg), while the nut husks and inner coating are high in phenolics, mainly catechin. The composition supports the Traditional Knowledge of Aboriginal Australians that the bunya nut is an energy dense and nutrient rich food. Similarities in the composition among the three different edible varieties were found, which should assist in developing sustainable value chain propositions via shared knowledge on processing and utilisation.

(2020) Comparison of Phenolic Compounds, Carotenoids, Amino Acid Composition, In Vitro Antioxidant and Anti-Diabetic Activities in the leaves of Seven Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) Cultivars. Foods, 9(9), 1285.

(2020) Complexities in developing Australian Aboriginal enterprises based on natural resources. The Rangeland Journal, 42(2), 113-128.

(2021) Cooking African pumpkin leaves (Momordica balsamina L.) by stir-frying improved bioactivity and bioaccessibility of metabolites—metabolomic and chemometric approaches

(2018). Cytotoxicity of Terminalia ferdinandiana extracts in intestinal and hepatic cancer cell lines. In: Proceedings for the 10th International Symposium on Poisonous Plants (ISOPP). 10th International Symposium on Poisonous Plants (ISOPP), St George, Utah, United States, (30-30).

(2010). Demystifying Australian flavours – a new lexicon. In: Wild Flavours of Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia.

(2021) Determination of ellagic acid, punicalagin, and castalagin from Terminalia ferdinandiana (Kakadu plum) by a validated UHPLC-PDA-MS/MS methodology

(2021) Effect of freeze drying and simulated gastrointestinal digestion on phenolic metabolites and antioxidant property of the Natal plum (Carissa macrocarpa)

(2013) Effect of packaging materials and storage on major volatile compounds in three Australian native herbs. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 61 24: 5738-5745.

(2020) Effect of sample presentation on the near infrared spectra of wild harvest Kakadu plum fruits (Terminalia ferdinandiana)

(2020) Effects of Different Drying Methods on Untargeted Phenolic Metabolites, and Antioxidant Activity in Chinese Cabbage (Brassica rapa L. subsp. chinensis) and Nightshade (Solanum retroflexum Dun.). Molecules 25(6)1326

(2021) Effects of drying methods and maltodextrin on vitamin C and quality of Terminalia ferdinandiana fruit powder, an emerging Australian functional food ingredient

(2022) Enhanced nutritional and phytochemical profiles of selected underutilized fruits, vegetables, and legumes

(2020) Enhancement of the Phytonutrient content of a gluten-free soup using a composite of vegetables. International journal of Food Properties, 23 (1).

(2020) Enrichment of Mango Fruit Leathers with Natal Plum (Carissa macrocarpa) Improves Their Phytochemical Content and Antioxidant Properties.  Foods 2020, 9(4), 431

(2017) Extraction and characterization of a novel Terminalia pectin. Food Science and Biotechnology, 27 1: 65-71.

(2021) Extraction optimisation, hydrolysis, antioxidant properties and bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds in Natal plum fruit (Carissa Macrocarpa)

(2017). Food preservation and the antimicrobial activity of Australian native plants. In Australian native plants: cultivation and uses in the health and food industries (pp. 251-264) Boca Raton, FL, United States: CRC Press. doi:10.1201/b20635

(2016). Food preservation and the antimicrobial activity of Australian native plants. In Yasmina Sultanbawa and Fazal Sultanbawa (Ed.), Australian native plants: cultivation and uses in the health and food industries (pp. 251-263) Boca Raton, FL, United States: Taylor & Francis Group. doi:10.1201/b20635-22

(2018) Formulation, characterisation and antibacterial activity of lemon myrtle and anise myrtle essential oil in water nanoemulsion. Food Chemistry, 254 1-7.

(2022) Formulation, characterization, and stability of food grade oil-in-water nanoemulsions of essential oils of Tasmannia lanceolata, Backhousia citriodora and Syzygium anisatum

(2020) From neglect to protection: recognising the importance of farmers’ varieties in Sri Lanka. In Kamalesh Adhikari and David J. Jefferson (Ed),  Intellectual property law and plant protection: challenges and developments in Asia. (pp. 161-176) Abingdon, United Kingdom: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9780429059520-9

(2021) Hydrolysable tannins in Terminalia ferdinandiana Exell fruit powder and comparison of their functional properties from different solvent extracts

(2022) Hydrolysable tannins, physicochemical properties, and antioxidant property of wild-harvested Terminalia ferdinandiana (exell) fruit at different maturity stages

(2020) Impact of curcumin-mediated photosensitization on fungal growth, physicochemical properties and nutritional composition in Australian grown strawberry

(2021) Impact of polyphenol-rich extracts of Terminalia ferdinandiana fruits and seeds on viability of human intestinal and liver cells in vitro

(2022) In vitro Bioaccessibility and Intestinal Absorption of Selected Bioactive Compounds in Terminalia ferdinandiana

(2015) Infrared spectroscopy as a rapid tool to detect methylglyoxal and antibacterial activity in Australian honeys. Food Chemistry, 172 207-212.

(2021) Insights on the role of chemometrics and vibrational spectroscopy in fruit metabolite analysis

(2018) Intellectual property and related legal issues facing the Australian Native Food Industry Wagga Wagga NSW Australia: AgriFutures Australia

(2020). Intellectual property law for plant varieties: challenges and developments in Asia. In Kamalesh Adhikari and David J Jefferson (Ed), Intellectual property law and plant protection: challenges and developments in Asia. (pp. 1-11) Abingdon, United Kingdom: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9780429059520-1

The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (Trans-Pacific Partnership or Partnership) is a major multilateral trade agreement between Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam that entered into force in December 2018. The Partnership, like many other bilateral, regional, and trans-regional trade treaties that have been enacted since the mid-1990s, is polemical, due in large part to its perceived effects on small scale agriculture, native biodiversity, and local and Indigenous peoples. Civil society criticisms have centred especially on how the Trans-Pacific Partnership’s provisions on intellectual property might encourage the privatisation of plants, seeds, and other genetic resources at the expense of customary practices. The present article analyses these provisions, while also discussing the treatment of traditional knowledge in the Partnership, which is relatively progressive in comparison to prior free trade agreements. The article concludes by deriving lessons that civil society activists, local and Indigenous communities, and domestic authorities could derive from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, towards the end of identifying policy space for the protection of traditional knowledge and native biodiversity.

(2020) Interactions Between Phytochemicals and Minerals in Terminalia ferdinandiana and Implications for Mineral Bioavailability

(2022) Investigating the Efficacy of Tasmannia lanceolata Extract in Inactivating Fungi and Prolonging the Shelf Life of Date Fruit

(2019) Kakadu Plum (Terminalia ferdinandiana) as a Sustainable Indigenous Agribusiness. Economic Botany.74, 74-91.

(2018). Kakadu plum: safety assessment. In: Workshop on An Interdisciplinary Dialogue on the Legal, Social and Scientific Uses of the Kakadu plum, Brisbane QLD, Australia, ().

(2016). Lemon Myrtle (Backhousia citriodora) Oils. In Victor R. Preedy (Ed.), Essential Oils in Food Preservation, Flavor and Safety (pp. 517-520) Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Elsevier. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-416641-7.00059-6

(2014) Leptospermum (Manuka) honey: accepted natural medicine. In Laïd Boukraâ (Ed.), Honey in traditional and modern medicine (pp. 113-124) Boca Raton, FL, United States: CRC Press. doi:10.1201/b15608-7

(2012) Lexicon for the sensory description of Australian native plant foods and ingredients. Journal of Sensory Studies, 27 6: 471-481.

(2021) Measurement of total soluble solids and moisture in puree and dry powder of Kakadu plum (Terminalia ferdinanadiana) samples using hand-held near infrared spectroscopy

(2016) Measuring free ellagic acid: influence of extraction conditions on recovery by studying solubility and UV-Visible spectra. Chemical Papers, 70 8: 1078-1086.

(2016) Measuring the three forms of ellagic acid: Suitability of extraction solvents. Chemical Papers, 70 2: 144-152.

(2018) Mechanism of action against food spoilage yeasts and bioactivity of Tasmannia lanceolata, Backhousia citriodora and Syzygium anisatum plant solvent extracts. Foods, 7 11: 1-15.

(2013). Microalgae: a valuable source of natural carotenoids with potential health benefits. In Masayoshi Yamaguchi (Ed.), Carotenoids: Food Sources, Production and Health Benefits (pp. 143-164) Hauppauge, NY, USA: Nova Science Publishers.

(2021) Mid-infrared spectroscopy as a rapid tool to qualitatively predict the effects of species, regions and roasting on the nutritional composition of Australian Acacia seed species

(2021) Modelling folates reaction kinetics during cowpea seed germination in comparison with soaking. Food Chemistry 340, 127960

(2021) Monitoring two different drying methods of Kakadu plum puree by combining infrared and chemometrics analysis

(2007) Native Australian fruits – a novel source of antioxidants for food. Innovative Food Science and Emerging Technologies, 8 3: 339-346.

(2021) Nutritional analysis, volatile composition, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of Australian green ants (Oecophylla smaragdina)

(2018) Nutritional characteristics of native Australian fruits: Kakadu plum and green plum as examples. Nutridate, 29 3: 8-12.

(2020) Nutritional Value and Antimicrobial Activity of Pittosporum angustifolium (Gumby Gumby), an Australian Indigenous Plant. Foods, 9(7), 887.

(2021) Nutritional, anti‐nutritional, antioxidant, physicochemical and functional characterization of Australian acacia seed: effect of species and regions

(2016) Organic acids in Kakadu plum (Terminalia ferdinandiana): the good (ellagic), the bad (oxalic) and the uncertain (ascorbic). Food Research International, 89 Pt 1: 237-244.

(2015). Plant extracts as natural antimicrobials in food preservation. In V. Ravishankar Rai and Jamuna A. Bai (Ed.), Microbial food safety and preservation techniques (pp. 373-382) Boca Raton, FL, United States: CRC Press. doi:10.1201/b17465

(2021) Plant-based phenolic molecules as natural preservatives in comminuted meats: a review

(2020). Policy, politics, and implications of Pakistan’s Plant Breeders’ Rights Act. In Kamalesh Adhikari and David J. Jefferson (Ed), Intellectual property law and plant protection: challenges and developments in Asia. (pp. 104-123) Abingdon, United Kingdom: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9780429059520-6

(2017). Processing of native plant foods and ingredients. In Australian native plants: cultivation and uses in the health and food industries (pp. 295-308) Boca Raton, FL, United States: CRC Press. doi:10.1201/b20635

(2016). Processing of native plant foods and ingredients. In Yasmina Sultanbawa and Fazal Sultanbawa (Ed.), Australian native plants: cultivation and uses in the health and food industries (pp. 295-307) Boca Raton, FL, United States: Taylor & Francis Group. doi:10.1201/b20635-26

(2014) Profiling ellagic acid content: the importance of form and ascorbic acid levels. Food Research International, 66 100-106.

(2021) Proximate composition, functional and antimicrobial properties of wild harvest Terminalia carpentariae fruit

(2012). Quality control of honey using spectroscopic methods. In Gilles Bondurand and Hernan Bosch (Ed.), Honey : production, consumption, and health benefits (pp. 113-132) Hauppauge NY, USA: Nova Science Publisher.

(2019) Reimaging the relationship between food sovereignty and intellectual property for plants: Lessons from Ecuador and Nepal. The Journal of World Intellectual Property 22(5-6) 396-418.

(2022) Sensory properties of Australian bunya nuts

Bunya nuts are the seeds of Araucaria bidwillii, a conifer native to South-East Queensland, Australia. They are one of the 19 species of Araucaria family found around the world, with the nuts from South America being the most commonly consumed. They are traditionally eaten boiled or roasted. This study aims to profile the sensory properties of bunya nuts with chestnut as a comparator. Since chestnuts do not come from a conifer tree, it is expected that there will be differences. Different methods of preparation are also expected to change the sensory attributes. Representative samples were collected from a variety of locations in South-East Queensland, prepared and presented to a panel of 14 experienced tasters applying conventional sensory descriptive profiling. During training, the panel developed a lexicon of 23 sensory attributes together with definitions and reference. Profiles of the boiled and roasted bunya nuts revealed higher scores for hardness on the first bite than chestnuts and, when chewed, became more crumbly, dry, and grainy. They had a savory aroma and flavor, and roasted samples exhibited a roasted aroma. Bunya nut samples were less sweet than chestnut samples. Differences in the sensory properties due to method of preparation were also observed. Boiled bunya nuts were softer and moister, with lower scores for crumbly and grainy. This research is foundational in providing technical information on the sensory profile of this important Indigenous Australian nut and provides a strong basis to support novel food sector opportunities for the bunya nut as a reemerging food source not only in Australia, but also South America. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: There is an increase demand for local, sustainable, and natural foods. Bunya nuts are native to Australia and are part of the Araucaria family, which includes 19 species that can be found around the world. To the best of our knowledge there is no study characterizing Araucaria nuts in terms of sensory attributes. This study builds a lexicon for bunya nuts and compares to chestnuts. It also shows how different preparation methods affect its sensory attributes, as well as possible future uses in product development. The outcomes might provide information to support studies on Araucaria nuts in other countries.

(2020) Sensory properties of yellow pea and macadamia honeys from conventional and flow hive extraction methods. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 100 (5)

(2006) Sources of antioxidant activity in Australian native fruits. Identification and quantification of anthocyanins. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 54 26: 9820-9826.

(2016). Tasmanian Pepper Leaf (Tasmannia lanceolata) Oils. In Victor R. Preedy (Ed.), Essential Oils in Food Preservation, Flavor and Safety (pp. 819-823) Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Elsevier. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-416641-7.00093-6

(2021) Tecticornia sp. (Samphire)—A Promising Underutilized Australian Indigenous Edible Halophyte

(2019) Terminalia ferdinandiana, a traditional medicinal plant of Australia, alleviates hydrogen peroxide induced oxidative stress and inflammation, in vitro. Journal of Complementary and Integrative Medicine, 17:1

(2021) The effect of maturity and season on health-related bioactive compounds in wild harvested fruit of Terminalia ferdinandiana (Exell)

(2022) The Framework for Responsible Research With Australian Native Plant Foods: A Food Chemist’s Perspective

(2021) The measurement of antioxidant capacity and colour attributes in wild harvest samphire (Tecticornia sp.) samples using mid-infrared spectroscopy

(2020) The Nagoya Protocol and historical collections of plants. Nature Plants, 6, 430-432.

(2020) The nutritional potential of the native australian green plum (Buchanania obovata) compared to other anacardiaceae fruit and nuts

(2021) The use of a micro near infrared portable instrument to predict bioactive compounds in a wild harvested fruit—Kakadu plum (Terminalia ferdinandiana)

(2020) The use of vibrational spectroscopy to predict vitamin C in Kakadu plum powders (Terminalia ferdinandiana Exell, Combretaceae)

(2023) Themes of a Seed Bank: Native Seed/SEARCH

There are numerous motivations for starting a seed bank. Preserving biodiversity while addressing rapid globalisation of industrial agriculture is a common priority for many (Curry 2019; Harlan 1975). Detailed research into the origins of a particular seed bank reveals the way overarching concerns translate into specific organisational themes. Native Seed/SEARCH (NS/S), founded in Tucson Arizona in 1983, helped focus public attention on preserving local seeds in the Sonoran Desert of the southwestern United States (Schmidt 2015).

(2006). Towards an Indigenous Public Domain?. In Lucie Guibault and P. Bernt Hugenholtz (Ed.), The Future of the Public Domain 1st ed. (pp. 259-279) The Netherlands: Kluwer Law International.

(2016). Unique flavours from Australian native plants. In Yasmina Sultanbawa and Fazal Sultanbawa (Ed.), Australian native plants cultivation and uses in the health and food industries (pp. 265-274) Boca Raton, FL, United States: Taylor & Francis Group. doi:10.1201/b20635-23

(2021) Unlocking the secrets of kernels using near-infrared spectroscopy

(2020) What does it mean to protect farmers’ varieties as intellectual property?. In Kamalesh Adhikari and David J. Jefferson. Intellectual property law and plant protection: challenges and developments in Asia. (pp. 177-205) Abingdon, United Kingdom: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9780429059520-10

Farmers’ Rights formally appeared in the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) as a means of recognising the past, present, and future contributions of farmers in conserving, improving, and making available the plant genetic materials that are important for food and agriculture.