Nutritional profiling of Pakistani acorn

This work provides a comprehensive nutritional characterization of 4 acorn species native to Pakistan, including Q. baloot, Q. dilatata, Q. glauca, and Q. incana, examining their physicochemical properties, mineral composition, fatty acid profile, bioactive compounds, and antioxidant activity.Results revealed that the targeted acorns were rich in carbohydrates (39.79-42.68%)and contained adequate levels of protein (5.52-8.32%)and lipids, along with substantial amounts of essential minerals, particularly potassium, calcium, and iron.These characteristics highlight their potential as a micronutrient-rich dietary resource, while the absence of glutencontaining proteins suggests suitability for gluten-free food formulations.Bioactive profiling confirmed the presence of phenolic and flavonoid compounds, with Q. dilatata showing the highest total phenolic and flavonoid content.DPPH assays indicated moderate to high radical-scavenging activity across all species.GC-MS analysis identified oleic, linoleic, and palmitic acids as the predominant fatty acids among the potential phytochemicals, and correlation analysis revealed notable relationships among nutritional, mineral, fatty acid, and bioactive parameters.Collectively, these findings position Pakistani acorns as an underutilized, nutritionally valuable, and potentially gluten-free resource with promising applications in functional food and nutraceutical development, while establishing a foundation for further exploration of these indigenous plant resources.