On August 28, the China National Food Safety Risk Assessment Center issued the "Public Solicitation of Opinions on Three New Food Ingredients Including Lemon Myrtle Leaf". Three new food ingredients, lemon myrtle leaf, maqui berry anthocyanin, and wheat polar lipid, have passed the technical review of the expert review committee [1]. This means that ingredients such as lemon myrtle leaf may officially become new food ingredients in the future. At the same time, the variety of food ingredients in China will further increase, and people's needs for health and nutrition will be better met.
What is Lemon myrtle leaf
Lemon myrtle leaf is the leaf of lemon myrtle (Backhousia citriodora F. Muell.), a plant of the genus Lemon Myrtle in the Myrtaceae family. The product is made from the leaves of lemon myrtle, which are picked, screened, washed, and dried. In 1845, botanist Ferdinand von Mueller named lemon myrtle Backhousia citriodora F. Muell. The genus was named after British botanist James Backhouse, and the species name was derived from the unique and strong lemon fragrance of its leaves [2]. Lemon myrtle is native to the rainforests of Queensland, Australia. The surface of lemon myrtle leaves is green and smooth, lanceolate, and milky white clusters of flowers bloom in late spring to early summer.
The flowers, wood and even the whole tree of lemon myrtle can be used, and the most sought-after is the leaves. Lemon myrtle leaves and top branches are distilled to obtain oil rich in citral, which can be used as a component of lemon essence, perfume and aromatherapy essential oil. In addition, lemon myrtle leaves are managed as ordinary food in Australia and New Zealand, as traditional food in the European Union, and allowed as food ingredients in Japan and South Korea.
In China, although the safety of lemon myrtle leaves has been recognized for consumption, there is insufficient data on the safety of consumption in infants, pregnant women and lactating women. Considering the principle of risk prevention, the above-mentioned groups should not be consumed. The label and instructions of the raw material should indicate the unsuitable population and the consumption limit.
Nutritious lemon myrtle leaves
The main nutrients of lemon myrtle leaves are dietary fiber, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals and amino acids, and contain substances such as polyphenols and citral.
Studies have found that lemon myrtle leaves are rich in citral, which has antibacterial, anti-food pathogenic, anti-postharvest pathogenic, anti-skin infection, as well as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. In addition, gallic acid and hesperidin are the main phenolic compounds in non-volatile lemon myrtle leaf extract, which give lemon myrtle leaves antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Among them, gallic acid is a significant phytochemical widely present in nature and is known for its excellent properties. It has powerful anti-asthmatic, anti-allergic, anti-mutagenic, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects.
Other studies have found that lemon myrtle leaf extract (LME) can inhibit the production of inflammatory mediators such as nitric oxide (NO). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) showed that pretreatment with LME can inhibit the protein expression and mRNA levels of proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. This activity suggests that lemon myrtle leaf extract can be used as a potential therapeutic agent with potent anti-inflammatory effects, which can be used to improve inflammatory bowel disease.
Widely used lemon myrtle leaf products
Lemon myrtle leaf contains high levels of bioactive compounds and lemony aroma, which gives it a strong aroma, so lemon myrtle leaf has been used in many culinary scenarios as a herb or flavoring element for centuries. For example, lemon myrtle leaf can be used in mixed teas, beverages, dairy products, cookies, bread, candy, pasta, syrups, liqueurs, flavored oils, packaged fish (salmon), dips and stews. It can also be used in lemon-flavored dairy products, such as cheesecake, ice cream and sorbet, as a lemon substitute. Lemon myrtle leaf products are available in three main forms: whole fresh leaves, whole dried leaves or dried and ground powder.
This article was independently created and published by Herbfields.net.