Comparing the nutritional composition and antioxidant properties of an Australian native grain variety with commonly consumed wheat

Climate change is threatening our current food systems and countries around the world are seeking alternative food sources to safeguard against potential food insecurity and nutrient deficiency concerns. Various traditional foods used by Aboriginal groups of Australia have previously been shown to be highly nutritious, contain beneficial functional properties and can thrive in the harsh climatic conditions found across Australia. As interest in these traditional foods grows, Aboriginal groups are looking at developing a range of foods for modern markets. However, for many of these foods, there is still little known about their nutritional and functional properties. In this study, we report the nutrition composition and antioxidant properties of a native Australian grain species that is currently being developed for commercial markets by a collective of Aboriginal Traditional Custodians and compare its properties to a commonly consumed wheat variety. Compared with wheat, the native grain species contained 2-fold greater protein and total fats, and higher levels of essential minerals and trace elements, including 8-fold iron levels and >2.5-fold calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper and manganese levels. Functionally, the native grain contained 2.4-fold greater polyphenol content and displayed greater antioxidant potential in exposed human monocyte cultures. Importantly, the native grain was also found to contain a very low gluten content. Altogether, this shows that the native grain is nutritionally and functionally superior to commonly consumed wheat for the measured parameters and could potentially serve as a grain alternative or be used to fortify current wheat-based and gluten-free products.