Hay Thomas Owen, Fitzgerald Melissa A, Nastasi Joseph Robert
School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
Food Chem X. 2024 Dec 7;25:102072. doi: 10.1016/j.fochx.2024.102072. eCollection 2025 Jan.
This study investigates the potential of Australian Traditional foods as novel sources of natural colourants for food applications, employing untargeted metabolomics and chemometrics. Two native species were analysed: Davidson plum and native currant. The species were quantitatively assessed for colour properties using the CIELAB colour system in conjunction with Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography-Quadrupole Time of Flight Tandem Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-Q-ToF-MS/MS). The results highlight diverse phenolic, flavonoid, and significant anthocyanin levels in Davidson plum and native currant, contributing to their robust red hues, comparable to commercial blueberry standards. Davidson plum and native currant exhibited high phenolic, flavonoid, and anthocyanin levels, contributing to vibrant red hues and significant bioactivity. Compared to blueberry, these species showed greater redness (a*) and chroma. Native currant demonstrated the highest phenolic content (146.73 mg g), anthocyanin content (14.48 mg g), and antioxidant activity (95.48 μmol Trolox equivalents/g). The chemometric analysis identified 46 key pigment metabolites, including anthocyanins and flavonoids, directly correlating to observed colour properties. UPLC-Q-ToF-MS/MS combined with CIELAB colourimetry facilitated pigment identification and colour analysis. These findings position Davidson plum and native currant as promising natural food colourants and functional ingredients. Additionally, the study underscores the efficacy of integrating chemometric analysis with CIELAB and UPLC-Q-ToF-MS/MS methodologies for pinpointing specific metabolites that influence the colour properties of these Traditional foods. This approach facilitates a deeper understanding of how indigenous Australian bushfoods can be innovatively incorporated into the food industry, aligning with consumer demand for natural and sustainable food options.
本研究采用非靶向代谢组学和化学计量学方法，探究澳大利亚传统食品作为食品应用中天然色素新来源的潜力。分析了两种本土物种：戴维森李子和本土醋栗。使用CIELAB颜色系统结合超高效液相色谱-四极杆飞行时间串联质谱（UPLC-Q-ToF-MS/MS）对这些物种的颜色特性进行了定量评估。结果表明，戴维森李子和本土醋栗中含有多种酚类、黄酮类化合物以及大量花青素，这些成分使其呈现出浓郁的红色，可与商业蓝莓标准相媲美。戴维森李子和本土醋栗表现出较高的酚类、黄酮类和花青素含量，赋予其鲜艳的红色以及显著的生物活性。与蓝莓相比，这些物种的红色度（a*）和色度更高。本土醋栗的酚类含量最高（146.73毫克/克）、花青素含量最高（14.48毫克/克），抗氧化活性也最高（95.48微摩尔Trolox当量/克）。化学计量学分析确定了46种关键色素代谢物，包括花青素和黄酮类化合物，它们与观察到的颜色特性直接相关。UPLC-Q-ToF-MS/MS与CIELAB比色法相结合，有助于色素鉴定和颜色分析。这些发现表明，戴维森李子和本土醋栗有望成为天然食品色素和功能性成分。此外，该研究强调了将化学计量学分析与CIELAB和UPLC-Q-ToF-MS/MS方法相结合的有效性，以确定影响这些传统食品颜色特性的特定代谢物。这种方法有助于更深入地了解澳大利亚本土丛林食物如何能够创新性地融入食品工业，以满足消费者对天然和可持续食品选择的需求。
