The KaiKai Book

ABSTRACT: Pleiogynium timoriense, commonly known as Burdekin plum (BP), is among many Australian native plants traditionally used by Indigenous people. However, only limited information is available on the nutritional and sensory quality of BP grown in Australia as well as its changes during storage. Therefore, this study evaluated the quality of BP during one week of ambient storage (temperature 21 °C, humidity 69%). Proximate analysis revealed a relatively high dietary fiber content in BP (7–10 g/100 g FW). A significant reduction in fruit weight and firmness (15–30% and 60–90%, respectively) with distinguishable changes in flesh color (ΔE > 3) and an increase in total soluble solids (from 11 to 21 °Brix) could be observed during storage. The vitamin C and folate contents in BP ranged from 29 to 59 mg/100g FW and 0.3 to 5.9 μg/100g FW, respectively, after harvesting. A total phenolic content of up to 20 mg GAE/g FW and ferric reducing antioxidant power of up to 400 μmol Fe2+/g FW in BP indicate a strong antioxidant capacity. In total, 34 individual phenolic compounds were tentatively identified in BP including cyanidin 3-galactoside, ellagic acid and gallotannins as the main phenolics. Principle component analysis (PCA) of the quantified phenolics indicated that tree to tree variation had a bigger impact on the phenolic composition of BP than ambient storage. Sensory evaluation also revealed the diversity in aroma, appearance, texture, flavor and aftertaste of BP. The results of this study provide crucial information for consumers, growers and food processors.

Issue addressed In Australia, food sovereignty of traditional landowners has been marginalised by the globalisation of food systems and resulted in limited opportunities for children to experience familiar bush tucker foods as healthy choices, particularly in a school environment. Superhero Foods® themed teaching resources focus on the development of nutrition education materials that included traditional Aboriginal foods together with contemporary foods readily available in regional/remote communities. Methods Consultation with an Aboriginal expert and Aboriginal artist; local, regional/remote teachers and stakeholders informed the development of tailored resources including food cartoon characters, school lesson plans and a storybook. The latter was guided by a resource development model. Users of the resources were surveyed to ascertain the useability, alignment with the Australian Dietary Guidelines, cross‐curricular learnings and cultural relevance. Results Respondents across regional/remote and urban locations completed a lesson plan and food character (clipart) survey (N = 51) and storybook survey (N = 14). Respondents advised the resources were relevant, enjoyable, engaging and culturally appropriate for all students regardless of Aboriginality. The resources provided learning opportunities for all children to enhance knowledge about Aboriginal culture and bush foods. Independent evaluation has further indicated the translation of messaging into student's knowledge and learning. Conclusions Key enablers to the success of the resource included; free online access, the highly engaging nature of the resources and adaptability to be implemented across a number of Aboriginal language groups in WA. Ensuring visual representation of healthy choices was fundamental to reinforcing nutrition messaging. Superhero Foods resources are a positive and important inclusion in the health promotion toolbox for Aboriginal children.

The traditional diets of Indigenous Peoples globally have undergone a major transition due to settler colonialism. This systematic review aims to provide a perspective of traditional food intake of Indigenous populations in high-income settler-colonized countries. For inclusion, studies reported the primary outcome of interest—traditional food contribution to total energy intake (% of energy)—and occurred in Canada, the United States (including Hawaii and Alaska), New Zealand, Australia, and/or Scandinavian countries. Primary outcome data were reported and organized by date of data collection by country. Forty-nine articles published between 1987 and 2019 were identified. Wide variation in contribution of traditional food to energy was reported. A trend for decreasing traditional food energy intake over time was apparent; however, heterogeneity in study populations and dietary assessment methods limited conclusive evaluation of this. This review may inform cross-sectoral policy to protect the sustainable utilization of traditional food for Indigenous Peoples.

ABSTRACT: The indigenous endemic plant P. angustifolium has received attention for nutraceutical and therapeutic applications in Australia. This study investigates for the first time the nutritional value (macro- and micronutrients, minerals, trace elements, polyphenols, carotenoids, saponins and antioxidant capacity) and antimicrobial activity of different botanical parts of P. angustifolium, either collected from the wild or cultivated. Different botanical tissues, geographic location and growing condition (wild vs. cultivated) showed significant (p <0.05) effects on the tested bioactive compounds, with the leaves having significantly (p < 0.05) higher levels than the stems. Saponins and polyphenols could be identified as the main bioactive compounds in the leaves with up to 4% per dry weight. The extracts of P. angustifolium leaves and stems showed strong antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, especially against Candida albicans. These activities correlated (R2 = 0.64–0.92; p < 0.05) with the levels of polyphenols and saponins, indicating their biologic potential. Findings from this study may provide information for future applications of P. angustifolium in the functional ingredient or nutraceutical industry.