Lotus seeds are rich in nutrients and contain
a variety of mineral elements, protein, fat, dietary fiber and
other compounds necessary for the human body. This paper
focuses on studying the changes in nutrient and mineral
element contents, and glycemic index (GI) in fresh Lotus seeds
harvested at different stages of maturity. The results show
that nutrient and mineral element contents in fresh Lotus
seeds differed significantly between the four maturity stages,
with all measured components increasing in concentration,
with the notable exception of sodium content, as the water
content of the seeds falls during the maturation process. There
are a rich variety of amino acids in fresh Lotus seeds, but the
relative content of each individual amino acid is not uniform.
Methionine is the first limiting amino acid in Lotus seeds. As
maturation progresses, the GI of the fresh Lotus seeds follows a
declining trend, but all GI values are greater than 70. Hence,
fresh Lotus seeds belong to the group of foods with a high GI.
These results provide a theoretical basis for scientific selection of
optimal harvest time of Lotus seed materials