Bioactive Compounds in Native Australian Plants

Native Australian flora represents a rich reservoir of structurally diverse bioactive compounds, evolved in isolation under extreme climatic and edaphic conditions. These metabolites include polyphenols, flavonoids, terpenoids and alkaloids, many of which exhibit potent antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and enzyme-modulating activities. Traditional knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities has long harnessed these plants for dietary and medicinal purposes, from Kakadu plum’s high ascorbic acid content to pepperberry’s unique lipid-soluble phenolics. Modern analytical techniques such as high-resolution mass spectrometry and untargeted metabolomics have revealed novel constituents with potential applications in functional foods, pharmaceuticals and crop protection. Key genera such as Tasmannia, Backhousia and Terminalia furnish compounds with demonstrated efficacy against foodborne pathogens, oxidative stress and chronic inflammatory pathways. The global significance of this research lies in the prospect of sustainable bioprospecting, added economic value for Indigenous enterprises and the discovery of lead molecules to address antimicrobial resistance and non-communicable diseases.

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Bioactive Compounds in Native Australian Plants publication trend

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Technical terms

Polyphenol: Plant secondary metabolite comprising multiple phenolic rings, often conferring antioxidant and antimicrobial properties.

Terpenoid: Large family of isoprene-derived organic compounds in plants, many of which act as defence agents or signalling molecules.

Flavonoid: Subclass of polyphenols characterised by a 15-carbon skeleton, noted for anti-inflammatory and free-radical scavenging activities.

Metabolomics: Global analysis of small-molecule metabolites in biological samples, used to identify and quantify bioactive plant constituents.

References

1. A Review of Phytochemicals and Bioactive Properties in the Proteaceae Family: A Promising Source of Functional Food. Antioxidants (2023).
2. Valorisation of Three Underutilised Native Australian Plants: Phenolic and Organic Acid Profiles and In Vitro Antimicrobial Activity. Foods (2023).
3. Untargeted and Targeted Metabolomic Profiling of Australian Indigenous Fruits. Metabolites (2020).
4. Chemical Composition, Antioxidant, Antibacterial, and Antibiofilm Activities of Backhousia citriodora Essential Oil. Molecules (2022).