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Sesame is an emerging crop of interest in Australia and has attracted widespread interest due to the health-benefitting properties of its bioactive compounds, including fatty acids, lignans, and polyphenols. This study aimed to investigate the impact of drought stress on these bioactive compounds, using eleven cultivars of black sesame seeds grown in Australia. Specific varieties responded positively to water deficit (WD) conditions, showing increased levels of TPC, FRAP, CUPRAC, and lignans. Varieties 1, 4, 7, and 12 showed significantly increased FRAP values ranging from 158.02 ± 10.43 to 195.22 ± 9.63 mg TE/100 g DW in the WD treatment compared to the well-watered (WW) treatment, whereas varieties 7, 10, 12, 13, and 18 demonstrated the highest CUPRAC values of all varieties (2584.86 ± 99.68–2969.56 ± 159.72 mg TE/100 g) across both WW and WD conditions, with no significant variations between irrigation regimes. Moreover, lignan contents (sesamin and sesamolin) were higher in varieties 1, 2, 5, and 8 grown in WD conditions. Compared to the optimal unsaturated to saturated fatty acid ratio (Σ UFA/Σ SFA ratio) of 0.45, all sesame genotypes showed superior ratios (ranging between 1.86 and 2.34). Moreover, the ω-6/ω-3 PUFA ratio varied from 33.7–65.5, with lower ratios in varieties 2, 4, 5, 8, and 18 under WD conditions. The high levels of phenolic compounds and healthy fats suggest the potential of black sesame to be incorporated into diets as a functional food. Furthermore, the enhanced phytochemistry of these cultivars in WD conditions is promising for widespread adoption. However, larger trial studies to confirm these findings across different geographic locations and seasons are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumers are showing increasing awareness of the concept of 'functional foods': foods that can provide health benefits in addition to their nutritional value. There is particular demand for foods with a high antioxidant and phenolic content, which may improve cardiovascular health, reduce inflammation, and slow or prevent the onset of chronic, non-communicable diseases. However, there is a lack of comprehensive databases using consistent analytical protocols to analyze the antioxidant and phenolic content of different food types, particularly in regional areas such as Australia. Over the past four years, our laboratory has analyzed over 1000 food-related samples using several antioxidant capacity assays (ferric reducing antioxidant power—FRAP—and cupric reducing antioxidant capacity—CUPRAC), as well as the total phenolic content (TPC) using the Folin–Ciocalteu method. Here, we provide a summary of these data by different food types to inform researchers, policy planners, nutritionists, and consumers about the typical levels of antioxidants and total phenolics found across a range of Australian foodstuffs, particularly grains. The highest antioxidant and phenolic contents were typically found in native Australian fruits, while grains, nuts, and non-native fruits showed lower antioxidant and phenolic contents. Spices, processed foodstuffs, and non-fruit native Australian foods showed an intermediate content. Furthermore, medicinally used plants showed a much higher phenolic content and antioxidant capacity compared to non-medicinal plants. Finally, we present correlations between the various analytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is a significant pulse crop in Australia, with an industry value of over AUD 1.3 billion. However, there are few studies investigating the levels of health-benefiting constituents in desi chickpeas and the impacts of variety, growing location, and season on these constituents. This study aimed to study the levels of health-benefiting constituents in desi chickpeas, including 97 samples of Australian desi chickpeas, comprising 18 varieties, grown in a range of field trials across four Victorian locations and three growing seasons. Various physical characteristics and phytochemical compositions were determined in the samples, including 100-seed weight, colour, moisture content, total phenolic content (TPC), ferric-reducing antioxidant potential (FRAP), cupric-reducing antioxidant potential (CUPRAC), and total monomeric anthocyanin content (TMAC). The screening results showed a significant difference in TPC, TMAC, and FRAP among different desi varieties, suggesting there may be variation in their potential health benefits. Furthermore, the growing location and growing season significantly impacted all analytes. Correlation analysis revealed a number of significant correlations, including a moderate positive correlation between the b* colour and the antioxidant capacity and total phenolic content. This work provides the first detailed insight into the range of phenolic and antioxidant contents found in Australian desi chickpeas and the impact that genotype, location, and season can have. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habanero chillies (Capsicum chinense cv Habanero) are a popular species of hot chilli in Australia, with 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. This work investigated the potential of using infrared spectroscopy for the quality assessment of 20 Australian Habanero chilli samples, including the prediction of dry matter content, total phenolic content, ferric reducing antioxidant potential and capsaicin/dihydrocapsaicin content. Near-infrared spectra (908–1676 nm) taken from the fresh fruit showed strong potential for the estimation of dry matter content, with a root mean standard error of cross-validation (RMSECV) of 0.50% FW. 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 of fresh fruit 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:dihydrocapsaicin, with a R2cv of 0.45 and RMSECV of 0.32 for the latter parameter. Although further refinement is required, this method may be able to detect samples with high/low contents of total phenolics or for the estimation of the capsaicin:dihydrocapsaicin ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catholic worship prioritises in-person ritual contact, but due to COVID-19, most Australian places of worship closed during 2020. An online survey of 1173 Australian churchgoing Catholics using the Spiritual Well Being Scale found no significant difference in Existential and Religious Wellbeing scores between groups who were still experiencing church closures and those who could attend church again. In those still experiencing church closures, standard multiple regression revealed significant and positive relationships between age and virtual worship engagement and both Existential and Religious Wellbeing scores. However, in those who could attend church once more, pre- and post-closure Mass attendance rate, and both virtual and real-life worship during church closures were all predictive of higher Existential and Religious Wellbeing scores. These results support the provision of access to both virtual and real-life worship during church closures, and their positive effects on both existential and religious wellbeing in a churchgoing Catholic population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]