Assessing the product quality and biological activities of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) grasses at different harvest times

Abstract

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) grasses (BG) have attracted considerable interest due to their multiple physiological activities and health benefits. In this paper, eight BG at four different growth stages were collected: seedling, tillering, stem elongation, and heading, and their product qualities and biological activities were examined and studied. Results demonstrated that harvest time obviously influenced proximate composition, surface color, and amino acid profile. Z21 and Z23 harvested at the seedling and early tillering stages, respectively, had higher total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) than the other BG. Moreover, Z21 and Z23 possessed better DPPH radical-scavenging ability, antioxidant capacity, and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity, which were positively correlated with TPC, TFC, and protein and total amino acid contents. Our findings suggested that the early tillering stages were the preferable harvest times for BG with good product quality and biological properties.