New Zealand mānuka (Leptospermum scoparium) honey is known to exhibit non-peroxide antibacterial activity caused by the active ingredient methylglyoxal which arises by chemical conversion of dihydroxyacetone during honey maturation. This study determines whether methylglyoxal and dihydroxyacetone are present in Australian Leptospermum honeys. This research developed a rapid and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the concurrent analysis of methylglyoxal and dihydroxyacetone in honeys. Both compounds were quantified as their O-(2, 3, 4, 5, 6-pentafluorobenzyl) hydroxylamine. HCl derivatives on single run reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection. Four species of monofloral Leptospermum honeys sourced from Northern Rivers Region, New South Wales, Australia contained methylglyoxal and dihydroxyacetone. The highest methylglyoxal concentrations were found in Leptospermum polygalifolium honeys.

BackgroundAround the turn of this century, the oil yield and chemical composition of Australian Leptospermum species was analysed. Since that time, research has been focused on their use as phytomedicines. The oil yield and composition of essential oils from Australian Leptospermum species directly impacts their commercialisation for medicinal use.ResultsThe essential oils from Leptospermum (L.) juniperinum, L. laevigatum, L. liversidgei, L. polygalifolium, L. semibaccatum, L. speciosum, L. trinervium and L. whitei have been examined from specimens in the Sunshine Coast (Queensland) and Northern Rivers (New South Wales) Regions. Both chemotypes of L. liversidgei were observed. However, only chemotype II of L. semibaccatum and chemotype I of L. trinervium were identified. The only subspecies observed of L. polygalifolium was L. polygalifolium wallum.ConclusionsL. liversidgei chemotypes I and II have the potential for phytomedical use as antibacterial or anti-inflammatory agents. Chemotype I has the potential for use as an insect repellent and chemotype II may provide antifungal activity.

Future employers increasingly require work-ready graduates. Higher education institutions throughout the world have responded through reforming the curriculum of major strands of study to incorporate graduate attributes. In this case study, we explicitly taught graduate attributes, obliged students to practice their newfound capabilities, gave feedback on their mastery of their new talents, and then assessed their expertise. We worked with students to progressively acquire graduate attributes that they need to become professional chemists. We implemented this strategy in a coherent suite of eight courses at a regional university in Australia. Our purpose was to design a tranche of eight courses to sequentially guide students’ mastery of graduate attributes in ways that would contribute to producing “bench-ready” chemists. Students’ perceptions of their acquisition of graduate attributes were ascertained through surveys and compared with student performance on assessment tasks. The knowledgeable and problem-solving graduate attributes were successfully developed in the first-year course, SCI105 Chemistry, and the third-year course, Physical Chemistry, respectively. The communication, engaged, ethical, and sustainability-focused graduate attributes were simultaneously developed in the second-year course, Inorganic Chemistry. We present here our model and underlying framework in such a way that others could implement this strategy in another context.

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