Antioxidant activity of grain of einkorn (Triticum mono-coccum L.), emmer (Triticum dicoccum Schuebl [Schrank]) and spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) varieties

Abstract

Wheat and cereals generally are largely consumed worldwide and contribute significantly to antioxidant intake with beneficial health effects. In the precise two-year field experiments, two varieties of wheat einkorn, two varieties of emmer wheat and three varieties of spring wheat in 2008 and moreover further two spring wheat varieties, three einkorn varieties and three emmer wheat varieties in 2009, were evaluated for antioxidant activity (AOA) using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl assay (DPPH). The higher grain AOA was observed in emmer (215.4–257.6 mg Trolox/kg DM) and einkorn (149.8–255.8 mg Trolox/kg DM) varieties, while in spring varieties the AOA ranged between 195.8 and 210.0 mg Trolox/kg DM. A linear correlation between total polyphenols and AOA was determined (r = 0.739, P ≤ 0.05). Emmer and einkorn wheat varieties showed high AOA and can be promising sources of these nutritionally appreciated grain constituents.