Bioactive components, physicochemical and starch characteristics of different parts of lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.) plant: a review

Abstract

Lotus plant parts such as flower, seed, root, leaf and stem or rhizome have a great potential for food and non-food applications. This review recognises the nutritional and therapeutic benefits, functional behaviour, post-harvest processing and applications of the lotus plant. Its unique bioactive constituents, such as phenolic compounds, alkaloids, flavonoids and essential oils, have proven efficacy in improvement of health. The good amount of dietary fibre, starch, vitamins and minerals suggest that it has potentially an appropriate opportunity for future valorisation and application as functional additive and ingredient in the food industry. As a functional ingredient for use in the food industry like flour in bakery industry, as an antioxidant, for incorporation in baby foods, extruded products, beverages etc. there is a need to study the characteristics of lotus plant especially the rhizome part.

Facile preparation of lotus seedpod-derived magnetic porous carbon for catalytic oxidation of Ponceau 4R

“…Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) is an aquatic plant, which is widely grown in ponds and lakes throughout Asia [1]. Lotus is world famous for its multitude of purposes [2]. Its seeds, rhizomes, roots, stems can be used as food.…”

“…In addition, many studies show its protective effects in human health in the prevention of diabetes, neurotic, obesity and cancer [3]. Lotus flowers are collected on a large scale because they contain alkaloids, flavonoids, steroids and polysaccharides [2,4]. Lotus roots and seeds are regarded as a popular nutritious source of food, since they provide β-sitosterol, palmitic acid and glucose [5].…”

Drying of lotus rhizome slices: Influence of drying conditions on Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, rheology, functional, and physicochemical characteristics of lotus rhizome powder

“…During handling and transportation, peeling, and processing of the lotus rhizomes for drying purposes, there becomes an easy exposure of PPO with phenolic substrates by bruising, and so forth, being a thin-skinned aquatic vegetable. PPO is a key enzyme causing deterioration due to its enzyme activity and postharvest degradation (browning effect) of lotus rhizome (Showkat et al, 2021) which could become a limitation to process the rhizome during drying. PPO is ubiquitously distributed in lotus rhizome at different concentrations (Zhou et al, 2014) in different parts (knot, periphery, and flesh) and is a vital enzyme triggering browning and thereby limiting its processing which was therefore inevitable to minimize the browning effect with preliminary blanching.…”

“…Due to polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity, postharvest management of rhizomes is a challenge (Zhou et al, 2014) and hence is exported as pretreated, packaged, frozen, and canned products. Unlike most other vegetables, lotus rhizome is blended with some vital components, that is, starch, fiber, minerals, trace elements, and bioactive compounds thus utilizing it for food and medicinal purposes since 2000 years (Showkat et al, 2021;Guo, 2009). It is an economical plant, cultivated over an area of 200,000 ha with a production of 3 million tonnes in China, being the largest in the world, and fetches approximately $3-$5 million in the international market (Zhou et al, 2014).…”

“…reported as 600-1,400 mm and 5-25 mm byFatima, Iftikhar, and Hussain (2018). Besides physico-mechanical and engineering properties of Lotus rhizomes of different grades have been characterised byShowkat et al 2021. Lotus rhizome, as a storage organ from the botanical source, grows profusely underwater which varies in dimensions depending upon the time of harvest, stages of growth, varietal difference, and so forth.…”