Phenolic profile in black sesame sprouts biostimulated with Bacillus clausii

The aim of this study to evaluate the effect of Bacillus clausii biostimulation on the phenolic profile of black sesame sprouts. Sesame seeds were treated with three bacterial concentrations (10 3 , 10 5 , and 10 7 CFU/mL) and then germinated. The phenolic compounds in the seeds were quantified and identified using UPLC-DAD-MS. Interactions between B. clausii and sesame seed surface were analyzed through attachment analysis and molecular docking. B. clausii -mediated biostimulation at 10 3 , 10 5 , and 10 7 CFU/mL increased the phenolic content by 93%, 83%, and 56%, respectively. The attachment of B. clausii to the seeds was presented at a range of 6–18%. Biostimulation could be involved in the synthesis of β-coumaric acid hexoside I and luteolin C-deoxyhexoside C-hexoside I and the increase in the levels of cinnamic acid (41.11-fold), protocatechuic acid (1.5-fold), xanthoxylol malonyl trihexoside (2.13-fold), hydroxysesamolin trihexoside II (2.10-fold), sesaminol trihexoside I (1.10-fold), and sesaminol trihexoside II (1.12-fold), compared with control sprouts. Levels of gentisic acid (1.49-fold), apigenin (1.34-fold), apigenin C-pentoside C-hexoside I (1.50-fold), hydroxysesamolin trihexoside I (1.48-fold), and pinoresinol dihexoside I (7.43-fold) increased during biostimulation compared with the seed control. The concentration of gluconic acid, a non-phenolic compound, was found to be increased 1.39-fold. Results from molecular docking studies revealed that binding energies for surfactin binding with galacturonic acid and xylose were − 3.6 and − 3.3 kcal/mol, respectively. Thus, B. clausii -mediated biostimulation can be used to produce black sesame sprouts with high phenolic content and valuable phenolics to generate new sprout lines.