Metabolomics analysis of germinated sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) seeds: Possibility of incorporating short-term germination treatments into the sesame production process

Abstract

Germination is an effective means to improve the nutritional value of sesame seeds. However, it is not clear whether it would be feasible to improve the nutritional value of sesame seeds by short-term germination treatments without causing substantial loss of oil. In this study, changes in the metabolite profiles of sesame seeds during short-term germination were analyzed by UPLC-MS/MS-based metabolomics. After 20 h of germination, the total phenolic and total flavonoid contents of sesame seeds were elevated by 2.16 and 1.53 folds, respectively, and the antioxidant capacity of their extracts was also significantly increased. At the same time, the oil content was not reduced. In metabolomics analysis, 48 bioactive compounds (19 terpenoids, 10 amino acids and derivatives, 7 flavonoids, 8 cinnamic acid derivatives, and 4 organic acids) were identified as key metabolites associated with elevated antioxidant capacity. Amino acid metabolism and the tricarboxylic acid cycle were the major metabolic pathways during sesame seed germination. Overall, it was possible to use short-term germination treatments as a means of pretreatment during the processing of sesame seeds products.