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A microplate-based assay was developed for the measurement of total phenolic content in polar ginger extracts, using the Folin-Ciocalteu method. The method optimisation process included investigating the effects of wavelength, incubation time and incubation temperature. The method was relatively robust, with most of these parameters having minimal impact on the results obtained. The optimised method could be conducted at room temperature and required only 20 min of combined incubation time. The repeatability of the microplate reader was 0.57%, with the gallic acid standards curve showing good linearity (R2 > 0.999). The mean intra- and inter-day reproducibility of the entire assay, which included operator error, was 4.4% and 7.8%, respectively. The optimised method was applied to analyse the total phenolic content of 200 ginger extracts in triplicate within approximately 8 h of labour time, finding a mean total phenolic content of 1713 ± 235 mg GAE 100 g−1 in the dried ginger powder samples. The total phenolic contents of the ginger samples showed a moderate positive correlation (R2 = 0.46) with the sum of gingerol and 6-shogaol contents, as measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). This method could be useful to aid in screening large numbers of samples for total phenolic content in order to identify high-phenolic genotypes or for use in quality assurance settings.

Citrulline is a non-protein building amino acid that plays important roles in nitric oxide production, vasodilation and ammonia detoxification. It is structurally related to arginine and is most abundant in melons and other cucurbit species. Most current methods for the quantification of citrulline and arginine require time-consuming chemical derivatization steps, and often use more expensive detection methods such as fluorescence detection. Hence, this study aimed to develop a simple and rapid reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography method using ultraviolet detection (RP-HPLC–UV), without requiring any analyte derivatization. The method was used to quantify the citrulline and arginine content of 13 Australian fruit and vegetable cultivars, comprising 11 species from 7 genera and 5 families. The highest citrulline contents were found in mature citron melon (Citrullus lanatus var. citroides) fruit (39.2 mg/g dry weight basis), which also had the highest citrulline: arginine ratio of 17.8. Red watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) flesh also contained high levels of citrulline (22.9 mg/g), with lower concentrations in other melons, pumpkin and squash (1–3 mg/g). Arginine levels were highest in red watermelon flesh (8.1 mg/g). This extraction protocol and HPLC method may be suitable for screening large number of samples for citrulline and arginine contents.

Vitamin D plays crucial roles in calcium absorption, bone metabolism, and immune, neurological and cardiovascular-related functions. In plants, it plays an important role in the form of D2 (ergocal...

Objectives The pathophysiology of chronic wounds typically involves redox imbalance and inflammation pathway dysregulation, often with concomitant microbial infection. Endogenous antioxidants such as glutathione and tocopherols are notably reduced or absent, indicative of significant oxidative imbalance. However, emerging evidence suggests that polyphenols could be effective agents for the amelioration of this condition. This review aims to summarise the current state of knowledge surrounding redox imbalance in the chronic wound environment and the potential use of polyphenols for the treatment of chronic wounds. Key findings Polyphenols provide a multi-faceted approach towards the treatment of chronic wounds. Firstly, their antioxidant activity allows direct neutralisation of harmful free radicals and reactive oxygen species, assisting in restoring redox balance. Upregulation of pro-healing and anti-inflammatory gene pathways and enzymes by specific polyphenols further acts to reduce redox imbalance and promote wound healing actions, such as proliferation, extracellular matrix deposition and tissue remodelling. Finally, many polyphenols possess antimicrobial activity, which can be beneficial for preventing or resolving infection of the wound site. Summary Exploration of this diverse group of natural compounds may yield effective and economical options for the prevention or treatment of chronic wounds.

Sweet potatoes are experiencing increased popularity across many parts of the world due to their high levels of functionally beneficial compounds, including vitamin C, anthocyanins and carotenoids....

Ginger is well known for its pungent flavour and health-benefitting properties, both of which are imparted by various gingerol derivatives and other volatile constituents. Although there has been a considerable amount of research into the chemical constituents found in fresh ginger, there is little information available on the quality of Australian-grown dried ginger, particularly that intended for processing purposes. Here, we investigate differences in the chemical composition of three samples of processing-grade ginger, ranging from very poor to good quality. Gingerols and 6-shogaol were quantified using high performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC), while gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to identify and semi-quantify the volatile constituents and other gingerol derivatives. Significant differences were found between the samples in their content of gingerols and [6]-shogaol, as well as in their total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity. A total of 100 volatile compounds were identified in the dried ginger samples, including 54 terpenoid derivatives and 35 gingerol derivatives. Several compounds are reported from ginger for the first time, including limonene glycol and neryl laurate. In addition, we provide the second report of the presence of shyobunol, geranyl-p-cymene and geranyl-α-terpinene in ginger., Graphical abstract Image 1, Highlights • Pungent and volatile compounds studied in ginger of varying quality. • Several volatile compounds reported from ginger for the first time. • Samples varied significantly in gingerol, [6]-shogaol and volatile content.

While plums are widely touted for their health benefits, there is little data available on the levels of beneficial anthocyanins and other antioxidative compounds found in commercial Australian plums. As such, this study aims to provide context data on the typical levels and variation in plums available to consumers. Six commercial plum varieties were sourced from Central Queensland grocery stores, including two varieties developed and grown exclusively in Australia ��� Croc Egg and ���King Midas��� yellow plums ��� as well as four varieties grown both in Australia and internationally: black, Dapple Dandy, red and sugar plums. These were analyzed for antioxidants, phenolics, anthocyanins and mineral contents. Significant differences between varieties were observed in the levels of total phenolics (65���160 mg gallic acid equivalents 100 g���1 on a fresh weight basis), antioxidants (cupric reducing antioxidant potential of 174���542 mg Trolox equivalents 100 g���1) and anthocyanins (0.3���21.5 mg cyanidin-3-glucoside equivalents 100 g���1), as well as in the flavonols quercetin (0.02���0.15 mg 100 g���1) and quercetin-3-glucoside (0.21���2.87 mg 100 g���1). Mid-infrared attenuated total reflectance (MIR-ATR) spectroscopy combined with principal component analysis could separate varieties based on their phytochemical composition. The findings suggest that commercially available Australian plums contain similar levels of health-benefitting compounds to those found internationally, although the levels of these compounds depend strongly on the considered variety.

Total monomeric anthocyanins from six commercial plum varieties were extracted using two protocols, viz methanol/water extraction through end-over-end shaking and ethanol/water extraction in a shaking water bath; adapted from the Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) standard method. Anthocyanins were determined using the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) standard protocol and a modification of the AWRI method. The mean relative standard deviation was found to be similar between methods, at 13.5% and 9.9%, respectively. On average, the anthocyanin concentrations given by the AWRI method were 27% higher than those obtained using the AOAC standard method. This was attributed to the AWRI method not correcting for haze or matrix interference, but estimating the anthocyanin concentration from the absorbance at a single wavelength. Anthocyanin measurements on the two extractions using the same measurement protocol supported this, indicating that the methanolic extracts gave a higher anthocyanin yield than the ethanolic extracts. Furthermore, HPLC profiling of the anthocyanin content demonstrated significantly more anthocyanins were extracted through the methanol extraction protocol. The methanol/water extraction protocol and AOAC standard method are much simpler to perform than the AWRI method and appear to be at least as precise. Thus this extraction and spectrophotometric protocol is well suited to future work on plum matrices. The extraction method is also more suitable for the subsequent photometric and/or HPLC determination of phenolic and total antioxidant contents.

Habanero chillies (Capsicum chinense cv Habanero) are a popular species of hot chilli in Australia, with their production steadily increasing. However, there is limited research on this crop due to its relatively low levels of production at present. Rapid methods of assessing fruit quality could be greatly beneficial both for quality assurance purposes and for use in breeding programs or experimental growing trials. Consequently, this work investigated the use of infrared spectroscopy for predicting dry matter content, total phenolic content and capsaicin/dihydrocapsaicin content in 20 Australian Habanero chilli samples. Near-infrared spectra (908–1676 nm) taken from the fresh fruit showed strong potential for the estimation of dry matter content, with an R2cv of 0.65 and standard error of cross-validation (SECV) of 0.50%. A moving-window partial least squares regression model was applied to optimise the spectral window used for dry matter content prediction, with the best-performing window being between 1224 and 1422 nm. However, the near-infrared spectra could not be used to estimate the total phenolic content or capsaicin/dihydrocapsaicin content of the samples. Mid-infrared spectra (4000–400 cm−1) collected from the dried, powdered material showed slightly more promise for the prediction of total phenolics and the ratio of capsaicin-to-dihydrocapsaicin, with an R2cv of 0.45 and SECV of 0.32 for the latter. The results suggest that infrared spectroscopy may be able to determine dry matter content in Habanero chilli with acceptable accuracy, but not the capsaicinoid or total phenolic content.

Although Australia is the largest exporter of faba bean globally, there is limited information available on the levels of bioactive compounds found in current commercial faba bean varieties grown in this country. This study profiled the phenolic acid and flavonoid composition of 10 Australian faba bean varieties, grown at two different locations. Phenolic profiling by HPLC-DAD revealed the most abundant flavonoid to be catechin, followed by rutin. For the phenolic acids, syringic acid was found in high concentrations (72.4–122.5 mg/kg), while protocatechuic, vanillic, p-hydroxybenzoic, chlorogenic, p-coumaric, and trans-ferulic acid were all found in low concentrations. The content of most individual phenolics varied significantly with the variety, while some effect of the growing location was also observed. This information could be used by food processors and plant breeders to maximise the potential health benefits of Australian-grown faba bean.

Four new lines of mungbean cultivated under northern Australian cropping conditions (19.8462°S, 147.2448°E) were characterised for yield, seed characteristics, nutritional contents, phytochemical profiles and phenolic acid contents. Their performance was compared to a commercially grown mungbean line (Jade‐AU). The seed yield for three of the new lines (AVTMB 1, 3 and 4) was 14% higher compared to Jade‐AU. However, the seed size of AVTMB 1 was also significantly smaller compared to the other lines and Jade‐AU. in vitro sprouting acceptability scores ranged between 80% and 100%, with no significant difference between lines. Ash content was highest (4.26% w/w) for lines with smallest seed (e.g., AVTMB 1), while higher protein content was recorded for AVTMB 1 followed by AVTMB 4, AVTMB 3 and Jade‐AU, and lowest in AVTMB 2. The seed coat colour of AVTMB 1 and 4 was significantly different (lighter green) than other lines and Jade‐AU, whereas the flour colour did not vary significantly. Total polyphenolic content, antioxidant capacity and total monomeric anthocyanin content did not vary significantly between lines. Phenolic acid and flavonoid profiling by HPLC showed the predominant constituents to be vitexin (which averaged between 115 and 149 μg/g for different lines), isovitexin (132–174 μg/g) and catechin (94–105 μg/g). There were statistically significant differences between the mungbean lines for several individual phenolic acids, including p‐hydroxybenzoic, vanillic, caffeic, sinapic, ferulic and cinnamic acids, as well as for the flavonoid glycoside vitexin. In most cases, with the highest concentrations of these compounds were found in AVTMB 4 or AVTMB 1. Several of these new mungbean lines show potential for commercial cropping in the drier, hotter regions of northern Australia due to their yield and seed quality performance.

Background and objectives The nutritional benefits of Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) have been widely acknowledged. Enriching wheat flour using pulses such as lentil flour is a way of increasing both the nutritional and functional content of wheat-based foods. The properties of lentil that may have specific health benefits to the individual are also widely acknowledged. Functional compounds from plant-based foods are commonly attributed to polyphenols, inhibitors, vitamins, and soluble and insoluble fiber. Water-soluble carbohydrates, (WSCs) consisting predominantly of oligosaccharides, make up part of total dietary fiber. The beneficial role of oligosaccharides promoting probiotic health is widely acknowledged. Equally, it is recognized that oligosaccharides cause irritable bowel syndrome limiting the ability for some individuals in consuming pulses. Findings We investigated changes in water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) composition during the dough fermentation phase of bread making and quantified the residual WSC in the bread. As expected, the addition of lentil flour increased the WSC profile of the resulting composite flours which included raffinose, stachyose, ciceritol, and verbascose. A threefold decrease was observed only for verbascose during the dough mixing phase; however, during fermentation, raffinose and stachyose decreased, but ciceritol was not affected. Conclusions The baking process may reduce the effects of IBS suffered by some individuals who consume lentil products prepared by traditional methods. Our study concluded that bread prepared from wheat–lentil flour results in a more complex carbohydrate profile and may potentially enhance the prebiotic functionality compared with bread made from wheat alone. Significance and novelty It is now recognized that alternate sources of protein can be gained using plant-based constituents. The functional properties of plant-based compounds are also widely accepted. Processing, such as fermentation and baking, can alter the concentration and functionality of plant-based compounds. In this study, we identified the changes in carbohydrate composition that occur in a wheat–lentil composite flour under the conditions of fermentation and baking.

A growing demand for plant‐based protein has seen a resurgence in the utilisation of pulses such as lentil and chickpea as a protein‐rich substrate to produce food products traditionally based on animal or cereal protein. Additionally, pulses offer metabolic benefits due to the bioactivity of compounds including phenolic acids, simple and complex carbohydrates and a more complete amino‐acid profile which is not found in cereal grains. However, there is an increasing concern in the formation of acrylamide in food which occurs when asparagine, an abundant amino acid found in pulses, forms a complex with the reducing sugars; glucose, fructose, and maltose. Recent studies in animal models have shown that acrylamide is carcinogenic and therefore is a concern for humans. High levels of acrylamide have been reported particularly in fried products, primarily due to the Maillard reaction which amplifies the formation of acrylamide. This study investigated the levels of acrylamide in bread, cookies, and extruded products prepared with wheat‐lentil composite flour. Our research found that extrusion resulted in a significantly lower concentration of acrylamide compared to traditional baking. Additionally, increasing the amount of lentil within the composite significantly increased the net concentration of acrylamide for all bread, cookies and extrudate products.

Phenolic acid and flavonoid glycosides form a varied class of naturally occurring compounds, characterised by high polarity—resulting from the glycone moiety—and the presence of multiple phenol functionalities, which often leads to strong antioxidant activity. Phenolic glycosides, and in particular flavonoid glycosides, may possess strong bioactive properties with broad spectrum activity. This systematic literature review provides a detailed overview of 28 studies examining the biological activity of phenolic and flavonoid glycosides from plant sources, highlighting the potential of these compounds as therapeutic agents. The activity of glycosides depends upon the biological activity type, identity of the aglycone and the identity and specific location of the glycone moiety. From studies reporting the activity of both glycosides and their respective aglycones, phenolic glycosides appear to generally be a storage/reserve pool of precursors of more bioactive compounds. The glycosylated compounds are likely to be more bioavailable compared to their aglycone forms, due to the presence of the sugar moieties. Hydrolysis of the glycoside in the in vivo environment would release the free aglycone, potentiating their biological activity. However, further high-quality studies are needed to firmly establish the clinical efficacy of glycosides from many of the plant species studied.

Background: Interest is growing surrounding functional foods, which provide health benefits in addition to nutritional value. In particular, there is a focus on pulse crops which contain high levels of polyphenolics, such as lentils. Methods: In this study, polyphenols were extracted from five L. culinaris varieties and characterized by both their antioxidant profile and cytotoxic activity. Result: Hulled varieties had a high content of secondary metabolites (>70 mg GAE/g), while all varieties demonstrated high antioxidant potential (1570-2020 Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity index). Furthermore, all extracts showed significant cytotoxicity against H9C2, HepG2, A549 and Calu-1 cancer cell lines. This recommends further investigation into the specific compounds present in L. culinaris, which could potentially be exploited for their anti-cancer activity.

With growing consumer interest and demand for health‐benefiting functional foods such as faba beans, particularly evident in developed countries, commercial production of this crop is increasing. In concert with increased production levels comes an equally great need for the inexpensive rapid measurement of nutritional parameters for quality determining purposes. As an analytical tool, near‐infrared spectroscopy has been well explored for the quantification of proximate nutritional composition, such as protein, starch and oil contents in faba bean and faba bean‐derived products. Near‐infrared spectroscopy has also been demonstrated to have potential for the noninvasive prediction of low‐level micronutrients such as the total polyphenol content in faba bean and faba bean‐derived products, although further exploration in this area is required to provide a more acceptable model. In some instances, the authors may be inadvertently measuring micronutrient concentrations through a secondary correlation with certain macronutrients. It is particularly difficult to determine if this is the case if exacerbated by the lack of an independent validation test set in the paper in question. The associated technique of mid‐infrared spectroscopy shows particular promise for the rapid, noninvasive characterisation of structural components of faba bean, such as carbohydrates and proteins. Complementary applications of these two technologies are likely to yield a wealth of potential applications.

There is growing interest in pulses such as faba bean for the development of foods with enhanced nutrition, functionality, and health benefits. In this study, seed material from 10 faba bean varieties, grown in replicated field trials in South Australia over consecutive seasons (2016 and 2017), were analysed for ferric reducing antioxidant potential, total phenolics, and total monomeric anthocyanins. Differences in the macrochemical composition of varieties was investigated using attenuated total reflectance mid‐infrared spectroscopy. The mean ferric reducing antioxidant potential of the varieties ranged from 237 to 531 mg trolox equivalents 100 g−1; the total phenolics from 258 to 571 mg gallic acid equivalents 100 g−1; and the total monomeric anthocyanins from 12.7 to 21.0 mg cyanidin‐3‐glucoside equivalents 100 g−1. Statistically significant variances in all three measures were found between varieties. Attenuated total reflectance Fourier transformed mid‐infrared spectroscopy was found to provide a rapid assessment of the phytochemical composition of the samples. Partial least squares discriminant analysis was able to classify samples by growing year with reasonable accuracy (>87%). There is significant variation in the antioxidant, phenolic, and anthocyanin contents between Australian faba bean varieties. Mid‐infrared spectroscopy may prove to be a valuable screening tool for breeders and researchers in the future.

Mid-infrared spectroscopy is finding an increasing number of applications; however, many of its potential uses remain unexplored. In this study, mid-infrared spectroscopy is applied to predict total antioxidant capacity and phenolic contents of powdered matrices of 14 diverse plant species. In all instances, the optimum prediction models were found using standard normal variate smoothing as a pre-processing method. The results show high correlation between the FTIR predicted and chemically determined values, namely R2 values of 0.962 for total phenolics, 0.829 for cupric reducing antioxidant potential (CUPRAC) and 0.911 for ferric reducing antioxidant potential (FRAP). The relative RMSE found for validation indicated that total phenolic content could be predicted with higher accuracy than CUPRAC or FRAP. This pilot study highlights the promise of this technology for plant breeders and a range of industries where rapid screening of many samples for antioxidant and/or phenolic content is envisaged.

Graphical abstract, Highlights • Naturally derived compounds provide a potential wealth of antiviral agents. • We reviewed the literature on phytochemicals against different human and animal coronaviruses. • Compounds showing the greatest potential for drug development are highlighted. • All promising compounds contain a conjugated ring structure. • Most are polyphenols and/or contain a substituted fused ring., Coronaviruses are responsible for a growing economic, social and mortality burden, as the causative agent of diseases such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), avian infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) and COVID-19. However, there is a lack of effective antiviral agents for many coronavirus strains. Naturally existing compounds provide a wealth of chemical diversity, including antiviral activity, and thus may have utility as therapeutic agents against coronaviral infections. The PubMed database was searched for papers including the keywords coronavirus, SARS or MERS, as well as traditional medicine, herbal, remedy or plants, with 55 primary research articles identified. The overwhelming majority of publications focussed on polar compounds. Compounds that show promise for the inhibition of coronavirus in humans include scutellarein, silvestrol, tryptanthrin, saikosaponin B2, quercetin, myricetin, caffeic acid, psoralidin, isobavachalcone, and lectins such as griffithsin. Other compounds such as lycorine may be suitable if a therapeutic level of antiviral activity can be achieved without exceeding toxic plasma concentrations. It was noted that the most promising small molecules identified as coronavirus inhibitors contained a conjugated fused ring structure with the majority being classified as being polyphenols.

Background and Aims The concentration of free trans-resveratrol in wine is expected to increase with storage because of hydrolysis of piceid (a bound form of resveratrol). This study measured resveratrol concentration in 16 Australasian red wines ranging from 1 to 6 years old, both initially and after a storage period of 16 months under ambient conditions. Methods and Results During the study period, trans-resveratrol concentration decreased by an average of 76%. The decay in trans-resveratrol was first order over the tested range of wine source and vintage, with a mean trans-resveratrol bottle-storage half-life of 8 (±1 SD) months. Decay rate was remarkably independent of growing condition and year. Conclusion The data suggest isomerisation of trans- to cis-resveratrol via residual enzymatic activity (rather than being catalysed by light or acid). Significance of the Study In general, this may reduce the anticipated health benefits of the wine given that cis-resveratrol displays fewer health benefits than the trans isomer.

Background and objectives Lentil (Lens culinaris M.) is a high value, highly nutritional grain which originated in Middle-East. More recently lentil has gained favor in Western countries due to the high value in production and the benefits they provide agronomically; however, growing lentil in countries such as Australia, Canada, and the United States is not without its challenges. One is the high probability of damage due to radiant frost either before flowering or during pod-filling. The effects of which is most noticeable in the appearance of the seed reduce the value and usability of crops. On the other hand, a generation of well informed, health-conscious, and environmentally concerned consumers has driven the demand for affordable and healthy food alternatives. Such demand has resulted in a growing industry for protein extraction and novel food production. If used for protein extraction or novel food production, the visual appearance of seeds is no longer an important quality trait. Lentil seeds damaged through frost that still retain a high nutritional composition may be the perfect candidate for a low-cost substrate in novel food production while improving the outcomes for growers and industry alike. Findings This study used as a model extrusion technology to investigate the use of flour derived from Grade 1 (premium quality) and downgraded frost-damaged lentil and to monitor compositional changes during extrusion. The study concentrated on how total protein, individual carbohydrates, and phenolic acids changed through high-temperature, high-pressure extrusion. Overall flours made from composite lentil–wheat flour had significantly higher concentrations of protein and carbohydrates than the base wheat flour. No significant differences were observed for total protein or carbohydrates between Grade 1 and frost-damaged flours; however, extrusion significantly reduced total protein concentration as well as maltose and glucose concentration but did not alter the concentration of fructose, sucrose, or the raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFOs). As expected, phenolic acids, procyanidin, kaempferol glycoside, and kaempferol trihexoside were detected in lentil–wheat composites but not in wheat. All phenolic acids significantly increased with increasing concentrations of lentil flour in composite; however, their concentration decreased as a result of the extrusion process. Differences in concentrations of procyanidin and kaempferol glycoside were detected between Grade 1 and frost-affected lentil in both the composite flour and the extrudate. Conclusions The extrusion process has the effect of altering the composition of the raw material. This was evident by a decrease in protein percentage phenolic compounds and to a lesser effect the water-soluble carbohydrates. No changes in RFOs was observed. The complete loss of glucose and a significant reduction in maltose provide a healthier carbohydrate profile as the carbohydrates are low fermentable sugars. The reduction in phenolic acids a result of extrusion may help to reduce the antinutritional activity particularly in grains where the concentration of phenolic acids is high. This study found that functionality of downgraded lentil is similar to the premium grade, and more expensive raw material. This knowledge may assist in reducing the increasing issue of food waste where often downgraded products are not used in the production of food. Significants and novelty In order to meet world food security needs, it is predicted that global food production will need to increase by at least 70% by 2050. Therefore, the utilization of all possible protein sources including downgraded pulses, such as lentil, will become increasingly more important. Furthermore, due to climate change increasingly more variable weather conditions will result in the production of below optimum grains. Understanding how to best utilize both premium and downgraded grains is a desirable outcome to minimize food waste.

The finger lime (Citrus australasica) is endemic to Australia, attracting recent culinary interest due to its unique organoleptic profile. However, there is limited information available on the comparative chemical composition of current commercially available Australian cultivars. This study investigated the phytochemical composition of five Australian finger lime cultivars: Durhams Emerald, Chartreuse, Rhyne Red, Red Champagne and a hybrid cultivar (P1f2-10). The pulp ascorbic acid content ranged from 23 to 54 mg/100g (fresh weight basis), while the total phenolic content ranged from 144 to 197 mg/100g. In the pulp, flavonoids were more abundant than hydroxybenzoic and hydroxycinnamic acids, while phenolic acids were found at higher concentrations in the peel. The highest pulp antioxidant capacity and anthocyanin content were found in the Rhyne Red cultivar. The predominant volatile compounds present in peel were limonene, γ-terpinene, β-citronellol and citronellal, with distinct volatile chemotypes for each cultivar. Finger limes show promise for commercial development as a functional food.

Background and objectives Lentil (Lens Culinaris. Medik) is a highly nutritious food staple widely consumed within India subcontinent and the Mediterranean region. Although gaining popularity in western diets, wheat will continue to be a major crop as it can be used to manufacture a wide range of products. The nutritional benefits of lentils are acknowledged, particularly as a source of high protein so the incorporation of lentil flour into wheat‐based foods has the potential to improve the nutritive value of range food products. Twelve blended flours were made using different concentrations of red lentil cotyledon, wheat, and additional gluten. A blending study was undertaken to access yeast vitality, rheological properties of dough and baking characteristic of resulting bread. Findings High ratio blends of lentil flour had no negative effect on yeast vitality even at the highest concentration of 40%. Increasing substitution of lentil flour was highly correlated to increased protein (r = 0.98) and ash (r = 0.95) and a concomitant decrease in dough strength but not extensibility. Loaf volume and baking quality were also compromised at higher concentrations. At a concentration of 5% lentil flour, there were no deleterious effects on dough quality traits or on baking quality. The addition of bakers’ gluten 0.1 g/gram flour had a restorative effect on the rheological and baking characteristics of wheat–lentil composites at higher concentrations of up to 20%. Conclusions Our results show that optimal baking quality of wheat–lentil flour can be achieved using either low concentrations of up to 5% lentil flour or up to 20% lentil flour with the addition of gluten which maintained a superior loaf and crumb quality. Significance and novelty The protein and ash content of baked breads significantly increased when wheat was partially substituted with lentil flour. The concentration of lentil flour decreased dough strength and dough development time and decreased loaf volume while increasing crumb firmness in resulting bread. The addition of gluten improved the rheological and product quality of bread which allowed higher concentrations of lentil flour to be used in bread making. Balancing the ratio of lentil flour and gluten to optimize the rheological properties will result in a composite wheat–lentil bread with acceptable baking performance and enhanced nutritional benefits for consumers.

Gingerols and their shogaol derivatives play an important role in determining the sensory and organoleptic properties of ginger. In this study, 6-gingerol, 8-gingerol, 10-gingerol and 6-shogaol were quantified in 98 samples of dried Australian processing-grade ginger using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). A significant level of variation was found in the gingerol and shogaol contents of ginger samples grown under different conditions. The level of variation found in 6-shogaol content was lower than that observed for 6-gingerol, 8-gingerol or 10-gingerol content. It is possible that zeroth-order reaction kinetics under mild dehydration conditions could be responsible for this observation. More detailed information on the kinetics of the gingerol-dehydration reaction could potentially be used to manipulate the gingerol and shogaol contents of ginger through differential heat treatments.

Chickpea is the second-most grown legume crop world-wide; however, most chickpea genotypes are susceptible to drought and heat stress, limiting expansion of this crop beyond current growing regions. Consequently, this study evaluated the agronomic performance and phyto-nutritional content of five new genotypes of desi chickpea, grown under rainfed conditions in central Queensland, Australia. Four of the new genotypes showed significantly improved yield over PBA Drummond, while two showed higher protein content. The chickpea hull byproduct typically contained a higher total phenolic content (56–150 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/100 g) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (38–174 mg Trolox equivalents (TE)/100 g) compared to the kernel (TPC of 65–105 mg GAE/100 g and FRAP of 44–62 mg TE/100 g); however, this was not true for every variety. The husk also contained high levels of phenolics and antioxidant activity, highlighting the potential of chickpea hull and husk for use as value-added byproducts, rather than being discarded. This study highlights the difference in byproduct phyto-nutritional value that exists between chickpea genotypes, indicating that these parameters should also be considered when selecting genotypes in breeding programs. Furthermore, it presents several new genotypes of desi chickpea which may be suited to cropping in drier, warmer environments.

Background and objectives Lentil (Lens culinaris M.) is a high-value grain used traditionally as a minimally processed product. Lentil crops are well-suited to Mediterranean-type climates with mild winters and hot dry summers which results in the production of high-value grain. However, extreme weather conditions, such as frost, can impact the lentil seed, for example, a darkened seed color and distorted seed shape resulting in a downgrade of its market value. The quality parameters of lentil when milled as wholemeal flour is not reliant on visual or physical seed traits such as seed size and color which impact on the market value in traditional market specifications. Instead, quality parameters such as those applied in the assessment of wheat, these include flour yield and color would be appropriate parameters to determine the value of lentil flour. It is proposed that flour, even from down-graded lentil could be supplemented with wheat flour and used to enhance the quality profile of baked products including breads, pastas, and cookies. Findings This study investigated the use of premium and frost-damaged lentil flour in cookie making. Overall cookies made from wheat–lentil composite blends resulted in flatter and wider cookies that were darker than the cookies made from 100% wheat flour. Cookies made by incorporating lentil and wheat flour resulted in a significant increase in total protein, insoluble fiber, and oligosaccharides (p < .05). In addition, the phenolic acids kaempferol and procyanidin were detected in cookies made using wheat–lentil contributing to an increase in antioxidant activity (p < .05). These phenolic acids were not detected in cookies made from 100% wheat flour. Our results show that using concentrations of up to 25% lentil flour resulted in cookies that had expectable hardness and color characteristics in comparison with a 100% wheat biscuit. Conclusion This research showed that the nutritional value and functional properties of cookies can be significantly enhanced by using either premium or down-graded lentil and the quality of the cookies was not impacted by the market-grade of the raw material. Significance and novelty Investigations into the use of pulse flours such as lentil in novel food products including pasta and snack foods are gaining popularity particularly by the health-conscious consumer. The visual appearance of lentil is not critical when utilized in such products. Lentil that has been visually or physically affected by adverse weather conditions, but its nutritional and functional values have not been compromised may prove a viable inclusion in the creation of highly nutritious food alternatives. The use of down-graded lentil as flour in novel food production could ultimately add value to pulse grain affected by adverse environmental conditions.

Attitude to the subject of chemistry was quantified in first-year undergraduate nursing students, at two geographically distinct universities. A purpose-designed diagnostic instrument (ASCI) was given to students at Federation University, Australia (n = 114), and at Fiji National University, Fiji (n = 160). Affective and cognitive sub-scales within ASCI showed reasonable internal consistency. Cronbach's α for the cognitive sub-scale was 0.786 and 0.630, and 0.787 and 0.788 for affective sub-scale for the Federation University and Fiji National University students, respectively. Mean (SD) score for the cognitive sub-scale was 10.5 (5.6) and 15.2 (4.1) for students at Federation University and Fiji National University, respectively (P < 0.001, t-test). Mean (SD) score for the affective sub-scale was 13.1 (5.1) and 20.7 (4.3) for students at Federation University and Fiji National University, respectively (P < 0.001, t-test). An exploratory factor analysis (n = 274) confirmed a two-factor solution consistent with affective and cognitive sub-scales, each with good internal consistency. Quantifying attitude to chemistry in undergraduate nursing students using ASCI may have utility in assessing the impact of novel teaching strategies used in the education of nursing students in areas of bioscience and chemistry. However, geographically distinct populations of undergraduate nurses may show very different attitudes to chemistry.

This investigation has shown that the highly biologically active kava lactones, specifically those of desmethoxyyangonin, yangonin and kavain, exist in “locked-up” reserve forms. These important lactones can be regenerated from the totally delactoned polar residues when subjected to reflux at various pHs. The percentage of desmethoxyyangonin, yangonin and kavain regenerated from the same quantity of delactoned residue differed with the pH of the solution. Furthermore, treatment of the delactoned residue with β-D-glucosidase enzyme regenerated desmethoxyyangonin, yangonin and kavain in a pattern similar to that obtained under reflux at pH 5 and 8. These observations, when taken together with the outcome of the control experiment, suggest the presence of sugar bound kava lactone precursors in the delactoned residue.

β-Damascenone, a potent aroma component of in a variety of grapes and wines, has a sensory threshold of approximately 2ng/L in water. This C13 norisoprenoid ketone is principally generated from hydrolyzable precursors, which was glycosidically bound. Isolation of β-damascenone-yielding precursors from Cabernet Sauvignon grape skins using C18 reversed phase chromatography followed by droplet countercurrent chromatography yielded multiple chromatographically distinguishable precursor fractions. The existence of multiple precursors was further evident from the varying ratios of 3-hydroxy- β-damascone (the by-product): β-damascenone generated upon acid hydrolysis of the chromatographically distinguishable precursor fractions.