bardo Posted May 16, 2017 Share Posted May 16, 2017 Hi, I am looking to try find if there are any non edible or toxic native acacia seeds out there, so far all I have found is along these lines - "About 956 Australian Acacia species have been recorded. Nearly all of them appear to have edible seeds - on the basis of lack of evidence to the contrary - but the bushfood industry wisely prefers to use species which already have some history of safe use in traditional Aboriginal communities." info via Australia plants online. "Many of our acacias have toxic or poisonous seeds, however research is enabling some wattle seeds to be used in cooking" info via Australian plants society central coast group My bush tucker books are pretty indistinct on this and I can not seem to source any solid info on native toxic acacia seeds, So my question is if any one knows of any native toxic acacia seeds ? or any that are not edible? If so I would love to know more : ) Also I am trying to find a good book on Australian acacia identification, if any one knows of any good books on this subject I would love to know. Has any body got an opinion on the book, Acacias of Australia by Marion Simmons ? I am thinking I am going to be buying the book, Plants of central Queensland by Eric Anderson regardless of finding a good book on acacia identification or not. I would love to source a copy of Flora of Australia volume 11a and 11b if any one can direct me to an available copy I would be very grateful : ) It seem to be impossible to find. As an incentive to help me find out if there are any toxic/inedible native acacia seeds and what they might be, and a good native acacia identification book (not electronic) I will send a native acacia seed pack consisting of, longifolia, maidenii, acuminata 'narrow', concurrens, colei, burkittii, Victoriae and floribunda approx. 20-30 seeds of each to the best answer, and approx. 30-60 random acacia seeds to any helpful answers, I will send after 1 month of posting this to allow some time for answers, so approx. 16/6/17 after this date the offer will no longer be available. Thanks in advance for any and all help : ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wachumacallit Posted November 21, 2023 Share Posted November 21, 2023 On 16/05/2017 at 1:16 PM, bardo said: Also I am trying to find a good book on Australian acacia identification, if any one knows of any good books on this subject I would love to know. Has any body got an opinion on the book, Acacias of Australia by Marion Simmons ? Acacias of Australia was eventually published in 2 volumes. I have the first volume, original edition. The illustrations are amazing. I was disappointed that there were no entries for some of the more renowned ethnobotanical species. Information is aimed at horticulturists, very little on traditional use as food or medicine. Incredibly detailed drawings, and a glossary too, make this a good reference for botanists. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freakosystem Posted November 29, 2023 Share Posted November 29, 2023 Not exhaustive but a start... https://www.ausbushfoods.com/bushfoodsonline/plants/acacias.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alchemica Posted October 17 Share Posted October 17 (edited) Sorry this is a very late reply but I was looking at Snu's Garden of Eden and noticed this, which may help you/others answer the opposite to your question, that is, which are considered edible... Also, I'm assuming the main toxicities may be attributed to things like cyanogenic glycosides, or saponins? So maybe, one could assume an Acacia that is notably cyanogenic eg A. binervia, might have related cyanogenic toxicity in the seeds, which would likely be reduced on appropriate processing? Cyanogenic Glycosides: These compounds, when metabolized, release hydrogen cyanide (HCN), a potent cellular poison. HCN interferes with cellular respiration, leading to oxygen deprivation at the cellular level. Symptoms in affected animals can include rapid breathing, muscle tremors, staggering, convulsions, and ultimately death due to respiratory failure. The young leaves and seeds often have the highest concentrations. Tannins: While tannins are common in many plants and can have beneficial properties, high concentrations in Acacia can be problematic. They bind to proteins in the digestive tract, reducing nutrient absorption and potentially causing gastrointestinal irritation, reduced weight gain, and kidney damage in severe cases. Alkaloids: Some Acacia species contain various alkaloids, which are nitrogen-containing organic compounds with diverse pharmacological effects. These can affect the nervous system, digestive system, or other organ systems, leading to a range of symptoms from neurological dysfunction to organ damage. Saponins: These compounds can cause gastrointestinal upset and, in some cases, hemolytic effects (destruction of red blood cells). EDIT: This lists edible wattles too: checklist1991.pdf Edited October 21 by Alchemica Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMooseZeus Posted October 17 Share Posted October 17 2 hours ago, Alchemica said: Sorry this is a very late reply but I was looking at Snu's Garden of Eden and noticed this, which may help you/others answer the opposite to your question, that is, which are considered edible... Also, I'm assuming the main toxicities may be attributed to things like cyanogenic glycosides, or saponins? So maybe, one could assume an Acacia that is notably cyanogenic eg A. binervia, might have related cyanogenic toxicity in the seeds, which would likely be reduced on appropriate processing? Cyanogenic Glycosides: These compounds, when metabolized, release hydrogen cyanide (HCN), a potent cellular poison. HCN interferes with cellular respiration, leading to oxygen deprivation at the cellular level. Symptoms in affected animals can include rapid breathing, muscle tremors, staggering, convulsions, and ultimately death due to respiratory failure. The young leaves and seeds often have the highest concentrations. Tannins: While tannins are common in many plants and can have beneficial properties, high concentrations in Acacia can be problematic. They bind to proteins in the digestive tract, reducing nutrient absorption and potentially causing gastrointestinal irritation, reduced weight gain, and kidney damage in severe cases. Alkaloids: Some Acacia species contain various alkaloids, which are nitrogen-containing organic compounds with diverse pharmacological effects. These can affect the nervous system, digestive system, or other organ systems, leading to a range of symptoms from neurological dysfunction to organ damage. Saponins: These compounds can cause gastrointestinal upset and, in some cases, hemolytic effects (destruction of red blood cells). I'm currently researching Acacia and it's medicinal uses (as an antibiotic) it seems to be the consensus that its tannins, saponins or flavonoids that are responsible for those properties (likely a combination of the three) I haven't done chemical analysis on my extracts but can update when I do. I haven't seen any information on toxicity in Acacia seeds during my research... I have come across pretty gnarly looking (great smelling) Aboriginal medicines made recently that must be ripe with saponins and tannins giving the colour and the foam. I bet they would do the job but you'd certainly feel side effects. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trip Posted October 18 Share Posted October 18 Acuninata has been studied iirc. As a seed flour and contained quiet high levels of proteins fats and carbs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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