Integrated Analysis of Fatty Acids and Phenolic Compounds in Agriophyllum squarrosum (L.) Moq.: A Promising Desert Crop for Functional Foods and Sustainable Health

Agriophyllum squarrosum (L.) Moq. is a desert-adapted pseudocereal that has recently attracted attention as a climate-resilient crop and source of valuable phytochemicals and nutritionally relevant metabolites. Despite their ecological and nutritional importance, comprehensive studies combining lipid and phenolic profiles across natural populations remain limited. In the present study, five populations of A. squarrosum from ecologically contrasting regions of Kazakhstan were analyzed to evaluate biochemical diversity and potential for functional food applications. Total lipid content was determined using near-infrared spectroscopy, fatty acid composition was assessed by GC-MS, and phenolic compounds were quantified by HPLC. Multivariate approaches, including PCA, MANOVA, PLS analysis, correlation networks, and TOPSIS ranking, were applied to evaluate population differentiation and relationships between biochemical traits and environmental conditions. Total lipid content in seeds ranged from 7.71% to 15.40%, linoleic acid represented 50.20–57.67% of total fatty acids, and oleic acid ranged from 24.80% to 40.10%. Isorhamnetin was the dominant phenolic compound in leaves, with concentrations between 0.24 and 0.65 mg/g. Populations from Aktobe showed higher lipid and oleic acid contents, whereas Almaty populations accumulated greater flavonoid levels, including isorhamnetin, quercetin, and kaempferol. These findings reveal substantial metabolic differentiation among populations and suggest possible associations with ecological conditions. The observed accumulation of unsaturated fatty acids and phenolic compounds, including isorhamnetin, quercetin, and kaempferol, identifies promising germplasm resources for future studies on functional food development and biological activity evaluation. The results further support the potential utilization of A. squarrosum in sustainable agriculture in arid regions.