Carbohydrates in Kangaroo grass (Themeda triandra Forssk.) grain and perspectives on its food potential
Date
2023
Authors
Cowley, J.M.
Phillips, A.L.
Khor, S.F.
Neumann, T.
Lim, W.L.
Burton, R.A.
Editors
Advisors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Type:
Journal article
Citation
Journal of Cereal Science, 2023; 111:103670-1-103670-5
Statement of Responsibility
James M. Cowley, Aaron L. Phillips, Shi Fang Khor, Tycho Neumann, Wai Li Lim, Rachel A. Burton
Conference Name
Abstract
Kangaroo grass (KG; Themeda triandra Forssk.) is a tussock-forming perennial C4 grass species with widespread distribution across Africa, Asia, Australia and the Pacific. KG has scientific importance as an ecological model particularly with regard to climate change. Diverse ecotypes of the single species occur across radically contrasting environmental gradients, displaying corresponding differences in resilience and ploidy (Ahrens et al., 2020). There is a growing interest in the cultivation of KG as a climate-resilient cattle forage and/or as a novel food for consumption by humans. In Africa, KG grains were consumed during times of famine, but this practice is unlikely to have been common due to the difficulty of accumulating sufficient grains (National Research Council, 1996). There is also evidence that KG was consumed, amongst other native grains, by Australian First Peoples(Chivers et al., 2015; Drake et al., 2021), particularly during the dry season when other foods became more scarce (Edwards and O’Connell, 1995). Recently, Drake et al. (2021) and Bell et al. (2022) demonstrated that wheat flour supplemented with mixes of Australian native grains can be used to produce a variety of foods including traditional flour cakes and more modern foods such as sourdough breads, fruit biscuits, crackers, and pizzas and there has recently been renewed interest from small businesses looking to produce breads with local provenance and sustainability merits (Valent, 2020). Despite this growing interest, there are no reports on the composition of KG grains. Here, we report for the first time on the carbohydrate composition of KG grains and then, with reference to the likely nutritional profile and agronomic factors, briefly discuss the potential of KG's use as a food grain.
School/Discipline
Dissertation Note
Provenance
Description
Access Status
Rights
© 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.