The effect of maturity and season on health‐related bioactive compounds in wild harvested fruit of Terminalia ferdinandiana (Exell)

Abstract

This study reports changes in the concentrations of important health-related bioactive compounds (vitamin C and ellagic acid) and morphology of wild harvested Kakadu plum fruits that were collected during three harvest seasons and four maturities. The results showed that fruit weight increased, whereas fruit length and width changed slightly with the advance in maturity. Vitamin C increased up to 20 folds (from 1.2 to 21.2% dry weight [DW]) from immature to mature stage, whereas ellagic acid decreased approximately three times (from 6.5 to 2.1% DW). Similar trends were observed over the three harvest seasons studied. A positive correlation between fruit weight and vitamin C, whereas a negative correlation with ellagic acid was observed, indicating that maturity plays an important role in contributing to the variation of ellagic acid and vitamin C. Season also had an effect and showed the influences of rainfall, temperature and solar exposure on the biosynthesis of vitamin C and ellagic acid.

Hydrolysable tannins, physicochemical properties, and antioxidant property of wild-harvested Terminalia ferdinandiana (exell) fruit at different maturity stages

“…This suggests that hydrolysed tannins in Kakadu plum fruit decreased significantly as the fruit ripens. A decreasing trend in the total ellagic acid content (after acid hydrolysis of ellagitannins) during the ripening process of wild-harvested Kakadu plum fruits was recently reported (14,17). The reduction in hydrolysable tannins, which is associated with the fruit maturation process, could be attributed to the polymerization of tannin compounds that can potentially bind to other macromolecules such as proteins, polysaccharides, and fibers to form the complex structures (29).…”

“…In most of the recent studies, hydrolysable tannins in Kakadu plum are estimated indirectly through the semiquantification of their corresponding hydrolysed metabolites. A key step in quantification of ellagitannins is based on the release of hexahydroxy-diphenic acid, which undergoes spontaneous lactonization to ellagic acid under acidic condition at high temperatures (12)(13)(14). The hydrolysable tannin and phenolic acid compounds, such as ellagic acid and corilagin, were identified and quantified as predominant constituents in Kakadu plum fruit powder using high-resolution accurate mass (HRAM) spectrometry (15).…”

“…Kakadu plums are traditionally wild-harvested, and as a result, a large fluctuation in the bioactive compounds (vitamin C and ellagic acid) has been reported in Kakadu plum fruits collected from three seasons and four different maturity stages (14). Phan et al (14) reported a positive correlation between vitamin C and an increase in fruit maturity in wild-harvested Kakadu plum. However, ellagic acid content decreased with fruit maturation.…”

“…Konzack et al (16) reported a significant variation in the levels of bioactive compounds in Kakadu plum fruits harvested from different accessions, locations, and different individual trees at the same location. Additionally, other potential factors, including changes in climatic conditions (e.g., rainfall level, solar exposure intensity, and air temperature), can affect the fruit morphology and the biosynthesis of bioactive compounds during fruit growth (14). Therefore, understanding the effect of wild-harvest conditions on the fruit quality at harvest is crucial for researchers, the Australian Indigenous community, Indigenous enterprises, and the Australian bush food industry.…”

Protective Effect and Potential Antioxidant Role of Kakadu Plum Extracts on Alcohol-Induced Oxidative Damage in HepG2 Cells

“…The KKD was traditionally used as a refreshing drink for children and adults in WA: it was consumed for energy and refreshment on hunting trips [24]. The fruit contains a large amount of vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid) along with a wide range of phytochemicals, such as phenolic compounds and flavonoids, which includes gallotannins, ellagitannins, phenolic acids, proanthocyanidins, ellagic and gallic acid [25,26]. T. ferdinandiana is a potential antioxidant [27][28][29] and possesses pharmacological activities against cancer [30], rheumatoid arthritis [31], inflammation [32], bacteria [33], and so on.…”