Profiling of Flavonols in Seeds and Sprouts of Luffa cylindrica

Seeds of Luffa cylindrica (Luffa) have been considered as agricultural wastes. However, we hypothesized that the seeds and its sprouts may provide bioactive components that could provide health benefits for humans. The current study profiled the bioactive components in both seeds and sprouts of Luffa by using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MSn). Apigenin was identified as a major component in the seeds of Luffa, with a concentration of 2.89 mg from 1 g fresh weight. The bioactive components in the sprouts were myricetin, luteolin, and quercetin, with concentrations of 32.4, 12.5, and 32.5 mu g from 1 g fresh weight, respectively. Apigenin metabolites, such as apigenin-glucuronic acid and apigenin-acetyl glucuronic acid, were also identified in the sprouts. This implied that apigenin in the seeds, when sprouting, was changed to other flavonols having a flavone backbone. Results from the current study suggest that both seeds and sprouts of Luffa could be a bio-resource for health-promoting food materials.