Some chemical characteristics and volatile compound profiles of wild foxtail lily (Eremurus spectabilis)

Abstract

The wild Foxtail lily (Eremurus spectabilis) is a valuable vegetable consumed in different forms as food and employed as a remedy for preventive and curative purposes. In the present study, the physicochemical and antioxidant properties and the volatile compounds of the leaves and stem parts of wild Foxtail lily were determined. The moisture content, ash, pH, crude fibre, crude protein and crude fat were determined as 93.90% and 90.90%; 0.48% and 0.70%; 5.01 and 5.01; 0.62% and 1.06%; 1.4% and 2.27%; and 0.60% and 0.60% in stem and leaf, respectively. L*, a* and b* values were found to be 67.77 and 46.70; -8.99 and -12.85; and 22.54 and 17.48 in stem and leaf, respectively. The total phenolic content, FRAP and DPPH were found in stem and leaf as 897.75 and 1781.83 mg GAE kg-1; 5.26 and 12.29 mmol ISE g-1; and 40.81 and 89.55 mmol TE g-1, respectively. 11 volatile compounds were detected in Foxtail lily stem and leaf, including 3 aldehydes, 3 alcohols, 1 ester, 1 furan, 1 sulfur compound, 1 nitrogen compound and 1 aliphatic hydrocarbon. Acetaldehyde, dimethyl sulfide, methyl isocyanide and ethyl alcohol were the most important volatile compounds detected in the headspace of Foxtail lily. The leaf part presented the highest physico-chemical and antioxidant properties, while the headspace of stem provided the highest volatile compounds.