Exploring the functional food potential of edible Persoonia spp.: Nutritional composition, bioactive properties and phenolic metabolomics

This study investigated the nutritional composition, including phenolic metabolomics and the bioactivity of different botanical parts (peels, pulps, seeds and peel+pulp) of three Australian native Persoonia fruits: Persoonia linearis (PL), Persoonia stradbrokensis (PS), and Persoonia falcata (PF). Persoonia fruits were found to be a good source of fibre and protein. Distinct phenolic metabolite profiles were observed in the three Persoonia fruits. A total of eleven phenolic compounds were identified, including β-arbutin, gallic acid, catechin, caffeic acid, epicatechin, myricetin, quercetin, trans-p-coumaric acid, rutin, quercetin-3-glucoside, and naringenin. PF extracts exhibited distinctive bioactive properties, including antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory activities. Overall, peel extracts demonstrated stronger performance in the applied bioactivity assays compared to pulps, seeds and peel+pulp. The results clearly demonstrate the potential of Persoonia fruits to be used in the development of functional food ingredients, blends or even value-added health products.