Minerals, fatty acids, and antioxidant activity in sea knotgrass (Polygonum maritimum L.) seeds

The design of the current study was to determine the functional properties of P. maritimum seeds by evaluating their mineral content, fatty acid composition, and biactive compounds. Results showed that seeds contained remarkable amounts of Na, K, Ca, Mg, Cu, Zn, and Fe. The oil yield was found to be 4.58% and contained higher unsaturated fatty acids predominated by linoleic and oleic acids. The colorimetric investigation revealed high total polyphenol (33.56 mg gallic acid equivalent/g), flavonoid (46.3 mg quercetin equivalent/g), and condensed tannin (22.3 mg catechin equivalent/g) contents. Furthermore, the LC-ESI/MS analysis revealed the presence of 13 phenolics mostly predominated by (+) catechin, quercetin-3-O-galactoside, gallic acid, and quinic acid. The seeds possessed strong antioxidant potential evidenced by ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging activities, total antioxidant capacity, and reducing power. The present findings suggest that P. maritimum seeds may be used as a potential source of biologically active natural products.

Automated summary

The study aimed to determine the functional properties of P. maritimum seeds by evaluating their mineral content, fatty acid composition, and bioactive compounds. The results showed that the seeds contained significant amounts of minerals, higher unsaturated fatty acids, and various phenolic compounds. The seeds also exhibited strong antioxidant potential. These findings suggest that P. maritimum seeds could be a potential source of biologically active natural products.