Cited by 60Pomegranate: compositions and health benefitsPhytochemicals and Antioxidant ActivitiesFood and Agricultural Sciences

Organic acids in Kakadu plum (Terminalia ferdinandiana): The good (ellagic), the bad (oxalic) and the uncertain (ascorbic)

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Williams, David J., Edwards, David, Pun, Sharon, Chaliha, Mridusmita, Burren, Brian, Tinggi, Ujang, Sultanbawa, Yasmina·2016·Food Research International

Abstract

The phenolic ellagic acid (EA) is receiving increasing attention for its nutritional and pharmacological potential as an antioxidant and antimicrobial agent. The Australian native Kakadu plum (Terminalia ferdinandiana) fruit is an abundant source of this phytochemical. The fruit also contains large amounts of vitamin C (mainly as ascorbic acid, AA) and possibly the undesirable oxalic acid (OA). Regular consumption of high oxalate foods poses a variety of health risks in humans including interference with calcium absorption and kidney stone formation. Oxalate is also the end-product of AA metabolism so that consumption of fruit with heightened AA content has the potential to elevate urinary oxalate levels. The aims of this study were to investigate the distribution of EA and the presence of other bioactives in other Kakadu plum tissues. Chemical analysis of Kakadu plum fruit and leaves for EA (free and total), OA (water-soluble and total), calcium (Ca) and AA indicated that EA and AA concentrations were high in the fruit while the leaves had significantly higher EA levels but little or no detectable AA. OA content in fruit and leaves was substantial with the fruit being placed in the high-Oxalate category. These findings suggest that there is potential to elevate oxalate levels in the urine of susceptible people and intake of fruit-derived products should be closely monitored. By measuring tissues collected from specific trees, high EA-producing or low OA-containing individuals were identified.

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  • Kakadu plum, camu-camu, and acerola are among the richest vitamin C sources.

    “Several fruits from different parts of the world, including kakadu plum from Australia, camu-camu, and acerola from South America, are the richest vitamin C sources (Table 1) [17,18,19].”

    From Vitamin C-Sources, Physiological Role, Kinetics, Deficiency, Use, Toxicity, and Determination (2021) · cites this paper as [17]

    Section 3.3 reports high ascorbic acid concentrations in Kakadu plum fruit, and the Conclusions describe its ascorbic acid levels as high. The paper does not establish a ranking among vitamin C sources or address camu-camu and acerola, so it supports only the Kakadu plum portion of the claim. (LLM, conf=0.86)

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1 of the 45 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 4

  1. American Dietetic Association (2005). Urolithiasis/urinary stones. American Dietetic Asso- ciation, Chicago, IL: ADA Nutrition Care Manual. Association of Official Analytical Chemists (1995). Official methods of AOAC international official method 964.22 (14th ed.). Arlington, VA: Association of Official Analytical Chemists International.
  2. Kohlmeier, M. (2003). Nutrient metabolism. Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Academic Press.
  3. Konczak, I., Zabaras, D., Dunstan, M., Aguas, P., Roulfe, P., & Pavan, A. (2009). Health ben- efits of Australian native foods: An evaluation of health-enhancing compounds. Aus- tralian Government, RIRDC, Pub. No. 09/133 (pp. 20.
  4. Morton, J. (1987). Carambola. Fruits of warm climates (pp. 125-128).

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Authors
Williams, D. J., Edwards, D., Pun, S., Chaliha, M., Burren, B., Tinggi, U., & Sultanbawa, Y.
Affiliations
  • Department of Primary Industries (AU)
  • The University of Queensland (AU)
  • Queensland Health (AU)
Corresponding author
Williams, David J.
Venue
Food Research International
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2016-11
Volume
89
Issue
Pt 1
Pages
237-244
ISSN
0963-9969 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2516839295
Cited by
60
References
45
Citations by year
2025: 6 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 1
FWCI
3.49
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Food Research International (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries archive of scientific and research publications (Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries) (submittedVersion)
  • Griffith Research Online (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Funders
Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (PRJ-009588)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Pomegranate: compositions and health benefits
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Biochemistry › Phytochemicals and Antioxidant Activities
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Food and Agricultural Sciences
Keywords
Kakadu plum, Terminalia ferdinandiana, ellagic acid, oxalic acid, vitamin C, oxalate, calcium, urinary oxalate, kidney stones, calcium absorption, bioactive compounds

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