Comparison of Antioxidant Constituents of Agriophyllum squarrosum Seed with Conventional Crop Seeds

Abstract Twelve chemical constituents were identified from the Agriophyllum squarrosum seed (ASS). ASS contained large amounts of flavonoids, which were more concentrated in the seed coat. ASS‐coat (1 g) contained 335.7 μg flavonoids of rutin equivalent, which was similar to the flavonoid content in soybean (351.2 μg/g), and greater than that in millet, wheat, rice, peanut, and corn. By LC‐MS analysis, the major constituents in ASS were 3‐O‐[α‐L‐rhamnopyranosyl‐(1→6)‐β‐D‐ glucopyranosyl]‐7‐ O‐(β‐D‐glucopyranosyl)‐quercetin (1), rutin (4), quercetin‐3‐O‐β‐D‐ apiosyl(1→2)‐[α‐L‐rhamnosyl(l→6)]‐β‐D‐glucoside (2), isorhamnetin‐3‐O‐rutinoside (5), and allantoin (3), compared with isoflavonoids‐genistin (16), daidzin (14), and glycitin (18) in soybean. Among constituents in ASS, compounds 1, 2, 4, protocatechuic acid (8), isoquercitrin (11), and luteolin‐6‐C‐glucoside (12) potently scavenged DPPH radicals and intracellular ROS; strongly protected against peroxyl radical‐induced DNA scission; and upregulated Nrf2, phosphorylated p38, phosphorylated JNK, and Bcl‐2 in HepG2 cells. These results indicate that ASS is rich in antioxidant constituents that can enrich the varieties of food flavonoids, with significant beneficial implications for those who suffer from oxidative stress‐related conditions. Practical Application This study found that A. squarrosum seed contains large amounts of antioxidative flavonoids and compared its chemical constituents with those of conventional foods. These results should increase the interest in planting the sand‐fixing A. squarrosum on a large scale, thus preventing desertification and providing valuable foods.