Phenolic quantification and untargeted metabolomics of heat-treated <i>Pachira aquatica</i> seeds

Monguba seeds are recognised for their nutritional and phenolic compounds contents. However, the effect of drying on their phenolic profile, as well as metabolomics characterisation of these seeds are still poorly understood. This communication investigated phenolic compounds in raw, dried and double-dried seeds and performed the untargeted metabolomics in dried seeds. HPLC-DAD analysis showed that milder drying (150 °C/20 min) favoured the overall phenolic compound content, while prolonged heating (150 °C/20 min plus 105 °C/6 h) promoted temperature-dependent reductions. The untargeted metabolomic profiling tentatively identified 35 metabolites, including newly reported compounds such as pyrogalol and gingerol. The HPLC-DAD results indicate that drying can favour the availability of phenolics and the metabolomic profile offers new perspectives on the bioactive composition and possible nutraceutical application of monguba seeds. Additional studies are needed to broaden knowledge about the chemical profile and assess potential health-related bioactive ffects.