A new research project at Murdoch University is setting out to provide scientific evidence to support the nutritional and health benefits of apples, specifically the ANABP 01 variety better known as Bravo™ in Australia and Soluna™ internationally.

“To date, human intervention studies on apples have yielded contradictory results,” Dr Ruey Leng Loo, who is leading the study, said.

“Our research aims to address this gap by collecting biological specimens from volunteers who will consume Bravo™ apples and control fruits each day for eight weeks. 

“We will analyse the impact on blood pressure, cholesterol and blood glucose levels, as well as other cardiovascular disease risk indicators, to see how they influence health.”

The project is supported by the Future Food Systems Cooperative Research Centre (CRC), in collaboration with Fruit West Co-operative, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) and Bruker BioSpin.  

In addition to the human nutrition study at the Australian National Phenome Centre (ANPC), the project also aims to develop new apple products at the Sustainable Innovative Food Technologies (SIFT) Centre.

“Another important aspect of the project is to develop products using high-pressure processing to extend shelf-life while also maintaining the health benefit of the fruits,” said Dr Loo.

The new products will be measured for their health-promoting compounds using the analytical capabilities at the ANPC.

Bravo™ apples are the result of more than two decades of research and development that delivered a cross between Royal Gala and the Western Australian-bred Cripps Red apple variety. The first commercial plantings were successfully completed by the Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia.

These apples are renowned for their resistance to browning after cutting, attributed to high levels of polyphenols and other antioxidant compounds.

Mrs Ann Lyster, Chair of Fruit West Cooperative, which holds the exclusive license to manage the commercialisation of Bravo apples in Australia, said the research would help underpin the variety’s continued success.

"By providing robust scientific evidence, we can confidently promote the unique attributes of these apples, meeting consumer demands and growing its success both domestically and internationally,” she said.

The collaborative project brings together analytical manufacturers, the agrifood sector, government, academia and the local community to gather robust evidence about the food we consume.

The local community is invited to be part of the Apple Study and can register their interest here.