Germinated seeds possessing increased water-soluble polyphenols and method of manufacturing

A method for germinating plant seeds containing water-soluble polyphenols comprising:

• arranging the seeds in multiple layers within a sealable container to induce an increase of carbon dioxide concentration and to induce a decrease of oxygen concentration during germination;
• maintaining the seeds in an atmosphere comprising at least one of a carbon dioxide concentration of greater than 2000 ppm and an oxygen concentration of about 18 volume percent or lower;
• and
• maintaining temperature of the plant seeds within a germinable range, wherein the temperature is maintained in the range of 20° C. to 45° C. and wherein the plant seeds are selected from the group consisting of pomegranate seeds and polygonum cuspidatum seeds thereby increasing the polyphenol content in the plant seeds;
• wherein normal atmospheric air is introduced into the sealable container during germination to control the carbon dioxide concentration and the oxygen concentration;
• wherein the method further comprises at least one of (i) hydrating the plant seeds by at least one of spraying and misting water and (ii) irradiating the plant seeds with light, wherein the irradiating comprises irradiation at 5000 lux or greater for at least 2 hours per day.