Nutritional Value and Antimicrobial Activity of <i>Pittosporum angustifolium</i> (Gumby Gumby), an Australian Indigenous Plant

oleh: Anh Dao Thi Phan, Mridusmita Chaliha, Hung Trieu Hong, Ujang Tinggi, Michael E. Netzel, Yasmina Sultanbawa

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2020-07-01

Deskripsi

The indigenous endemic plant <i>P. angustifolium</i> 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 <i>P. angustifolium</i>, either collected from the wild or cultivated. Different botanical tissues, geographic location and growing condition (wild vs. cultivated) showed significant (<i>p</i> < 0.05) effects on the tested bioactive compounds, with the leaves having significantly (<i>p</i> < 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 <i>P. angustifolium</i> leaves and stems showed strong antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, especially against <i>Candida albicans</i>. These activities correlated (R<sup>2</sup> = 0.64–0.92; <i>p</i> < 0.05) with the levels of polyphenols and saponins, indicating their biologic potential. Findings from this study may provide information for future applications of <i>P. angustifolium</i> in the functional ingredient or nutraceutical industry.