Nutritional and Functional Properties of <i>Terminalia ferdinandiana</i> Fruits Wild Harvested from Western Australia
Eshetu M. Bobasa,
Anh Dao Thi Phan,
Michael E. Netzel,
Saleha Akter,
Daniel Cozzolino,
Yasmina Sultanbawa
Affiliations
Eshetu M. Bobasa
ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Uniquely Australian Foods, Centre for Nutrition and Food Sciences, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, Indooroopilly, QLD 4068, Australia
Anh Dao Thi Phan
ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Uniquely Australian Foods, Centre for Nutrition and Food Sciences, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, Indooroopilly, QLD 4068, Australia
Michael E. Netzel
ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Uniquely Australian Foods, Centre for Nutrition and Food Sciences, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, Indooroopilly, QLD 4068, Australia
Saleha Akter
ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Uniquely Australian Foods, Centre for Nutrition and Food Sciences, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, Indooroopilly, QLD 4068, Australia
Daniel Cozzolino
ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Uniquely Australian Foods, Centre for Nutrition and Food Sciences, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, Indooroopilly, QLD 4068, Australia
Yasmina Sultanbawa
ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Uniquely Australian Foods, Centre for Nutrition and Food Sciences, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, Indooroopilly, QLD 4068, Australia
This study assessed the metabolite content and bioactivities of Kakadu plum (KP) from Western Australia (WA). LC-MS/MS and UHPLC-PDA analyzed sugar, vitamin C, and ellagic acid (EA). Functional properties were evaluated by spectroscopic technique, agar well diffusion, and microplate dilution methods. WA KP exhibited higher total sugar (16.3 ± 1.0 g/100 g DW) and free ellagic acid (EA) (23.2 ± 1.7 mg/g DW), along with abundant vitamin C (25.20 ± 0.16 to 131.50 ± 0.20 mg/g DW) compared to Northern Territory KP fruits. The fruit showed strong antioxidant activities, α-glucosidase inhibition, and effectiveness against bacteria, with positive correlations to total phenolic content (TPC), vitamin C, and EA. These findings highlight WA KP’s potential for functional foods and pharmaceuticals, emphasizing the importance of TPC, vitamin C, and EA in selecting high-quality fruit.
