Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Properties of Wild Lotus tetragonolobus Seeds from Eastern Libya

Abstract

Wild edible legumes represent valuable yet underutilized sources of nutrients and bioactive compounds with potential health benefits. However, information regarding the nutritional composition and antioxidant properties of wild Lotus tetragonolobus seeds, particularly those growing in Eastern Libya, remains limited. This study aimed to evaluate the proximate chemical composition, total phenolic content (TPC), and antioxidant activity of wild Lotus tetragonolobus seeds collected from Eastern Libya. Seeds were analyzed for moisture, crude protein, crude fat, ash, carbohydrates, and energy value using standard AOAC methods. Total phenolic content was determined using the Folin–Ciocalteu assay and expressed as mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/100 g dry weight (DW), while antioxidant activity was evaluated using the DPPH radical scavenging assay. The seeds contained 8.88 ± 0.01% moisture; on a dry-weight basis, they contained 26.84 ± 0.01% crude protein, 2.30 ± 0.05% crude fat, 4.01 ± 0.01% ash, and 66.85 ± 0.01% carbohydrates, with an estimated energy value of 395.90 kcal/100 g DW. The methanolic seed extract exhibited a total phenolic content of 243.33 ± 2.23 mg GAE/100 g DW and a DPPH radical scavenging activity of 43.01 ± 0.09%, indicating moderate antioxidant capacity. Wild Lotus tetragonolobus L. seeds possess a favorable nutritional profile and contain appreciable levels of phenolic compounds with measurable antioxidant activity. These findings provide the first comprehensive evaluation of the nutritional composition and antioxidant potential of this species from Eastern Libya and support its potential as an underutilized Mediterranean legume for nutritional, functional food, and phytochemical applications.