Effects of slightly acidic electrolyzed water on safety, antioxidant activity, and metabolite profile of buckwheat sprouts (Fagopyrum spp.)

The effect of slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) on the microbial load, metabolite profile, antioxidant, and growth of germinated buckwheat was investigated. All the SAEW solutions exhibited antimicrobial activity with no adverse impact on buckwheat sprouts' growth. The SAEW 30 ppm (pH = 5.0)-treated sprouts displayed highest 84.10 mg/g total phenolic content on the 5th day. Similarly, a notable increase in rutin content occurred from 4th day, and by the 5th day, it was highest at 43.73 mg/g. Moreover, using SAEW (pH = 5.0 and 6.5) increased the concentration of quercetin to 5.61 and 5.42 mg/g, respectively. UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS identified numerous compounds, predominantly amino, acids, fatty acids, polyphenols, and organic acid; the levels of which were strongly improved by SAEW (pH = 5.0). It was consistently observed that buckwheat sprouts treated with SAEW (pH = 5.0) exhibited the highest DPPH-reducing capability compared to all other treatment groups, especially on the 5th day. Similarly, SAEW (pH = 5.0)-germinated sprouts demonstrated the highest ABTS scavenging activity at 94.38%, followed by SAEW at 6.5 (87.22%), for germinated seeds on the 5th day. Therefore, buckwheat sprouts elicited with SAEW and harvested on the 5th day could demonstrate an enhanced bioactive profile and health-promoting benefits.