Kakadu plum (KP; Terminalia ferdinandiana Exell, Combretaceae) is an emergent indigenous fruit originating from Northern Australia, with valuable health and nutritional characteristics and properties (e.g., high levels of vitamin C and ellagic acid). In recent years, the utilization of handheld NIR instruments has allowed for the in situ quantification of a wide range of bioactive compounds in fruit and vegetables. The objective of this study was to evaluate the ability of a handheld NIR spectrophotometer to measure vitamin C and ellagic acid in wild harvested KP fruit samples. Whole and pureed fruit samples were collected from two locations in the Kimberley region (Western Australia, Australia) and were analysed using both reference and NIR methods. The standard error in cross validation (SECV) and the residual predictive deviation (RPD) values were 1.81% dry matter (DM) with an RPD of 2.1, and 3.8 mg g⁻¹ DM with an RPD of 1.9 for the prediction of vitamin C and ellagic acid, respectively, in whole KP fruit. The SECV and RPD values were 1.73% DM with an RPD of 2.2, and 5.6 mg g⁻¹ DM with an RPD of 1.3 for the prediction of vitamin C and ellagic acid, respectively, in powdered KP samples. The results of this study demonstrated the ability of a handheld NIR instrument to predict vitamin C and ellagic acid in whole and pureed KP fruit samples. Although the RPD values obtained were not considered adequate to quantify these bioactive compounds (e.g., analytical quantification), this technique can be used as a rapid tool to screen vitamin C in KP fruit samples for high and low quality vitamin C.

Kakadu plum (Terminalia ferdinandiana), endemic to Australia, is growing in popularity due to its high levels of vitamin C and strong antioxidant properties. In this study, Kakadu plum fruit powder was used as a functional food ingredient with other plant materials to develop value-added products to enhance their nutritional and commercial value. The present study determined the bioactive properties of nine products, including three Kakadu plum fruit powder samples produced from different processing batches and five Kakadu plum-blended products. Vitamin C, the total phenolic content, and the ellagic acid content were determined. Bioactive properties such as antioxidant, antidiabetic, and antimicrobial assays were also performed. Cytotoxicity was tested to obtain more specific product information regarding food safety. Kakadu plum-blended products showed lower cytotoxicity and lower bioactive properties (antioxidant and antibacterial activities) in comparison to Kakadu plum powder. However, overall, most of the bioactive properties were shown to be higher in the blends when compared with the commercial blueberry powder as a benchmark antioxidant product. Therefore, there is great potential for Kakadu plum to contribute to the growing functional food and ingredient markets.

Underutilised, nutrient-dense legumes in their sprouted form provide promising substrates for developing functional fermented foods capable of influencing gut microbial activity and metabolite production. This study evaluated the effects of probiotic lactic acid bacteria-fermented beverages derived from sprouted Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea) and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) on gut microbiota composition and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production using an in vitro colonic fermentation model. The beverages were fermented with either Bifidobacterium animalis BB-12 (BCBF24) or Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 75 (BCL7524). During colonic fermentation, at 0, 12, 24, and 38 h, faecal slurries were collected for SCFA analysis using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequencing (Oxford Nanopore Technologies). Microbial diversity decreased, indicating selective enrichment of taxa. BCL7524 induced a major shift, significantly (p < 0.05) enriching Bacillota and driving Megasphaera to ~42% dominance within 24 h. This reflected cross-feeding from L. plantarum to lactate-utilising Megasphaera spp. Spearman correlation linked Megasphaera to a broad SCFA profile, including isobutyric, isovaleric, valeric, and hexanoic acids, with a significant (p < 0.05) positive correlation observed for hexanoic acid. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis indicated proteolysis and mapped hexanoic acid to fatty acid biosynthesis pathways, suggesting chain-elongation activity contributing to hexanoate formation. In line with this, BCL7524 produced significantly (p < 0.05) higher levels of hexanoate (3–14 mM) and valerate (10–15 mM), supporting chain-elongation activity within the community. In contrast, BCBF24 enriched Actinomycetota and Bifidobacterium, correlating with acetate production (18–23 mM). This study demonstrates that specific synbiotic beverages can modulate gut microbial ecology and metabolic output under in vitro conditions.

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.

Lemongrass (genus Cymbopogon) is commonly used in foods, beverages, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and material science. Cymbopogon ambiguus A. Camus, the Australian Native Lemongrass, is a lesser-known member of the genus Cymbopogon, and research on this plant is scarce. Australian Indigenous people use the stalks and leaves of C. ambiguus as teas. Dried chopped leaves are also used as herbs in cooking. The aim of this study was to determine the proximate composition and bioactive properties of Australian native lemongrass (C. ambiguus). Antimicrobial capacity was carried out using the well diffusion method, antioxidant capacity by the FRAP method, and antidiabetic capacity by using the α-glucosidase inhibitory activity assay. The results obtained in the current study were compared with previously published literature on lemongrass (C. citratus). The results showed that C. ambiguus has lower fat and protein content and lower antioxidant and antimicrobial capacities than C. citratus, but it is very rich in fibre (67.55%) and has strong α-glucosidase inhibitory capacity. The total phenolic and total flavonoid content determined in the aqueous extract of C. ambiguus are also notable. The results of the present study showed that Australian native lemongrass has promising bioactive potential to be used as an alternative native herbal tea.