Queensland 'super plum' plum has obesity-fighting properties

The Queensland government will collect millions in royalties after their agriculture department developed a plum that has obesity-fighting properties.

The Queen Garnet plum developed by the Queensland Department of Primary Industry has been shown to have remarkably positive health benefits in test rats.

University of Southern Queensland Lindsay Brown told the ABC obese rats eating these plums lost weight despite maintaining a high-calorie diet.

"Blood pressure, heart function, liver structure and function, hormone changes, the obesity, all of these come back to normal, despite this incredible junk food diet," Professor Brown said.

"What we saw in the tissues of these animals there were no more inflammatory cells after treatment."

Now the plum is drawing interest from major stone fruit growing countries across the world, including Spain, the USA, China and the UK.

With the exclusive license to market the Queen Garnet, Queensland consortium Nutrafruit is set to cash in, with royalties going back to the state government.

The plum is now being tested to see if it can have positive effects on patients with chronic illnesses, including dementia.