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In vitro antidiabetic effect of fruits and vegetables with reports as folk remedies were investigated. The antidiabetic effects were evaluated by comparing the inhibitory properties of α‐glycosidase, aldose reductase, and antioxidant activity. The results indicated that lychee extract exhibited the best dose‐dependent inhibitory activity against α‐glycosidase with IC 50 of 10.4 mg/mL, and lemon peel extract exhibited aldose reductase inhibitory potential with IC 50 value at 3.63 mg/mL. Besides, the result also showed that the inhibitory effects of blueberry and plum against α‐glycosidase were strong among the fruits samples. Bitter gourd and eggplant demonstrated significant inhibitory potential against aldose reductase, with IC 50 values at 8.55 mg/mL and 8.06 mg/mL, respectively. The result from correlation analysis part showed that the antioxidant activities of selected fruits and vegetables were found related to their health beneficial effects, as there was positive correlations between total flavonoids content (TFC) and aldose reductase inhibitory activity (r 2 = 0.556).

Aims: Yeast and bacterial communities inhabit a sourdough starter to make artisanal bread. This study shows whether the interactions of micro-organisms derived from Australian sourdough starters provide some of the positive flavour, and aroma properties to bread by using defined sourdough cultures as the sole leaven in bread production. Methods and Results: An investigation of Australian sourdough starters found that they contained Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Kazachstania exigua yeasts. When these yeasts were inoculated alone to ferment wheat flour in an extended fermentation, the bread had a heterogeneous crumb structure, a deeper colour and a distinctive chemical aroma profile than those made with commercial baker's yeast. When bread was made combining these yeasts individually and in combinations with lactic acid bacteria also isolated from these sourdough starters, including Lactobacillus plantarum, L. brevis, L. rossiae, L. casei, the bread aroma profiles and crumb structure were more distinctive, with compounds associated with sour aromas produced, and preferred by sensory panels. Conclusions: The use of defined mixed cultures as the leaven in bread making, by exploiting the microbial diversity of artisanal Australian starters, can produce bread with distinctive and attractive aromas. Significance and Impact of the Study: Understanding and identifying the community ecosystems found in sourdough cultures and using them as the sole leaven in bread production provide novel insights into microbial interactions and how they affect food quality by removing the effects of commercial yeast strains.

BACKGROUND: Sorghum grain is rich in phenolic compounds and has the potential to be developed into functional beverages such as sorghum grain tea, in which the health benefits and flavour are the important quality attributes to be considered in tea product development. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of grain tea processing steps on the phenolic contents, antioxidant activity and aroma profile (volatile compounds) of MR-Buster (red-coloured) and Shawaya Short Black 1 (black-coloured) sorghum and the results compared with those for our previously reported Liberty (white-coloured) sorghum. RESULTS: Tea processing had significant impacts on sorghum polyphenols and volatile compounds, but the effect and level varied among sorghum varieties. The phenolic contents and antioxidant activity in these three sorghum varieties were consistent in both raw grain and grain tea samples and in the order Shawaya Short Black 1 > MR-Buster > Liberty. However, the volatile profiles (both individual and grouped volatiles) were significantly different between sorghum varieties, and the abundance and diversity of the volatile compounds of the tea samples were in the order Liberty > MR-Buster > Shawaya Short Black 1.CONCLUSIONS: Black-coloured sorghum with high phenolic content and antioxidant activity is more suitable for making sorghum tea considering the health benefits. In terms of the aroma intensity and diversity, white-coloured sorghum could be the ideal material. However, future study is needed to determine the key volatile compounds that positively contribute to the aroma. This work provides important insights into the selection of grain materials for sorghum grain tea production.

Human saliva contains diverse bacterial communities, reflecting health status, dietary patterns and contributing to variability in the sensory perception of food. Many descriptions of the diversity of the salivary microbiome have focused on the changes induced by certain diseased states, but the commonalities and differences within healthy saliva have not been fully described. Here, we define and explore the core membership of the human salivary microbial community by collecting and re-analysing raw 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing data from 47 studies with 2206 saliva samples. We found 68 core bacterial taxa that were consistently detected. Differences induced by various host intrinsic and behaviour factors, including gender, age, geographic location, tobacco usage and alcohol consumption were evident. The core of the salivary microbiome was verified by collecting and analysing saliva in an independent study. These results suggest that the methods used can effectively define a core microbial community in human saliva. The core salivary microbiome demonstrated both stability and variability among populations. Geographic location was identified as the host factor that is most associated with the structure of salivary microbiota. The independent analysis confirmed the prevalence of the 68 core OTUs we defined from the global data and provides information about how bacterial taxa in saliva varies across human populations.