Exploring Variations in Physical and Chemical Characteristics of Barringtonia Nuts: A Novel Forest Food

Shahla Bai; Bruce Randall; Gama Repson; Gua Basil; Keli Doni; Peter Brooks; Brittany Elliott; Helen Wallace

doi:10.3390/foods14122147

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Exploring Variations in Physical and Chemical Characteristics of Barringtonia Nuts: A Novel Forest Food

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Exploring Variations in Physical and Chemical Characteristics of Barringtonia Nuts: A Novel Forest Food

Shahla Bai, Bruce Randall, Gama Repson, Gua Basil, Keli Doni, Peter Brooks, Brittany Elliott and Helen Wallace

Foods, Vol.14(12), pp.1-11

2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14122147

PMID: 40565757

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Abstract

Barringtonia

domestication

commercialisation

tree selection

post-harvest

kernel to fruit percentage

Food security remains one of the most critical global challenges of the 21st century. Traditional tree crops domesticated by indigenous people have the potential to increase food security and improve the livelihoods of smallholders in developing countries. However, the nut characteristics of many traditional tree crop species in the tropics are poorly understood. In particular, physical and chemical characteristics are important to explore when selecting trees to commercialise. Three species, Barringtonia procera, B. edulis, and B. nova-hiberniae, have a long history of traditional use and domestication in Pacific Island countries. The aim of this study was to explore the physical and chemical characteristics of Barringtonia spp. in three Pacific countries: Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and Fiji. There were significant differences in kernel weight, oil concentration, and fatty acid concentration among the countries. The kernel weight was significantly higher in Solomon Islands compared with those in Vanuatu and Fiji (9.65 g, 7.61 g, and 5.64 g, respectively). Average kernel weight in Fiji was well above 3 g, which indicated that processing could be commercially viable. The total oil concentration was significantly higher in Vanuatu and Solomon Islands than Fiji, with average concentrations of 38.96% in Solomon Islands, 47.11% in Vanuatu, and 26.20% in Fiji. Barringtonia spp. exhibited high concentrations of unsaturated fatty acids, similar to other tropical nuts, which suggests that it may be a potential healthy oil for human consumption. Notably, kernel size, oil concentration, and fatty acid composition varied geographically, potentially due to climatic differences and historical seed transfer. Our study demonstrated the potential of Barringtonia to be commercialised to enhance food and nutrition security and provide a guide for cultivar selection.

Details

Title: Exploring Variations in Physical and Chemical Characteristics of Barringtonia Nuts: A Novel Forest Food
Authors: Shahla Bai - Griffith University
Bruce Randall - Griffith University
Gama Repson - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science, Technology and Engineering
Gua Basil - Beg’s Sol Seed Technology and Supplies (Solomon Islands)
Keli Doni - Solfarm Fresh (Solomon Islands)
Peter Brooks - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science, Technology and Engineering
Brittany Elliott - Queensland University of Technology
Helen Wallace - Queensland University of Technology
Publication details: Foods, Vol.14(12), pp.1-11
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date published: 2025
DOI: 10.3390/foods14122147
ISSN: 2304-8158
PMID: 40565757
Copyright note: © 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Data Availability: The original contributions presented in this study are included in the article/Supplementary Materials. Further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author.
Grant note: This research was funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, project numbers: FST-2014-067, FST-2017-038 and FST-2022-124.
Organisation Unit: School of Science and Engineering - Legacy; School of Science, Technology and Engineering; Centre for Bioinnovation
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991137072902621
Output Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration; International collaboration
Web Of Science research areas: Food Science & Technology

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