LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS Characterization and Estimation of the Antioxidant Potential of Phenolic Compounds from Different Parts of the Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) Seed and Rhizome

[Image: see text] Edible lotus (Nelumbo nucifera G.) is widely consumed in Asian countries and treated as a functional food and traditional medicinal herb due to its abundant bioactive compounds. Lotus rhizome peels, rhizome knots, and seed embryos are important byproducts and processing waste of edible lotus (Nelumbo nucifera G.) with commercial significance. Nevertheless, the comprehensive phenolic profiling of different parts of lotus is still scarce. Thus, this study aimed to review the phenolic contents and antioxidant potential in lotus seeds (embryo and cotyledon) and rhizomes (peel, knot, and pulp) grown in Australia. In the phenolic content and antioxidant potential estimation assays by comparing to the corresponding reference standards, the lotus seed embryo exhibited the highest total phenolic content (10.77 ± 0.66 mg GAE/g(f.w.)), total flavonoid content (1.61 ± 0.03 mg QE/g(f.w.)), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity (9.66 ± 0.10 mg AAE/g(f.w.)), 2,2-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) scavenging activity (14.35 ± 0.20 mg AAE/g(f.w.)), and total antioxidant capacity (6.46 ± 0.30 mg AAE/g), while the highest value of ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) activity and total tannin content was present in the lotus rhizome knot (2.30 ± 0.13 mg AAE/g(f.w.)). A total of 86 phenolic compounds were identified in five parts of lotus by liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS), including phenolic acids (20), flavonoids (51), lignans (3), stilbenes (2), and other polyphenols (10). The most phenolic compounds, reaching up to 68%, were present in the lotus seed embryo (59). Furthermore, the lotus rhizome peel and lotus seed embryo exhibit significantly higher contents of selected polyphenols than other lotus parts according to high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) quantification analysis. The results highlighted that byproducts and processing waste of edible lotus are rich sources of phenolic compounds, which may be good candidates for further exploitation and utilization in food, animal feeding, and pharmaceutical industries.