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

The design of the current study was to determine the functional properties of 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--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 seeds may be used as a potential source of biologically active natural products.