Analysis of Lipophilic Antioxidants in the Leaves of Kaempferia parviflora Wall. Ex Baker Using LC–MRM–MS and GC–FID/MS

Lipophilic metabolites such as carotenoids, fatty acids, vitamin K1, phytosterols, and tocopherols are important antioxidants that are used in the cosmetics, foods, and nutraceutical industries. Recently, there has been a growing demand for the use of byproducts (wastes) as a potential source of industrially important compounds. The leaves of Kaempferia parviflora (black ginger) (KP-BG) are major byproducts of KP-BG cultivation and have been reported to contain several bioactive metabolites; however, the composition of lipophilic metabolites in KP-BG leaves has not been examined. In this study, the lipophilic antioxidant profile was analyzed in the leaves of KP-BG plants grown in vitro and ex vitro. Lipophilic compounds, namely carotenoids (80.40–93.84 µg/g fresh weight (FW)), tocopherols (42.23–46.22 µg/g FW), phytosterols (37.69–44.40 µg/g FW), and vitamin K1 (7.25–7.31 µg/g FW), were quantified using LC–MRM–MS. The fatty acid profile of the KP-BG leaves was identified using GC–FID/MS. The content of individual lipophilic compounds varied among the KP-BG leaves. Ex vitro KP-BG leaves had high levels of lutein (44.38 µg/g FW), α-carotene (14.79 µg/g FW), neoxanthin (12.30 µg/g FW), β-carotene (11.33 µg/g FW), violaxanthin (11.03 µg/g FW), α-tocopherol (39.70 µg/g FW), α-linolenic acid (43.12%), palmitic acid (23.78%), oleic acid (12.28%), palmitoleic acid (3.64%), total carotenoids (93.84 µg/g FW), and tocopherols (46.22 µg/g FW) compared with in vitro KP-BG leaves. These results indicate that ex-vitro-grown KP-BG leaves could be used as a valuable natural source for extracting important lipophilic antioxidants.