Genetic Control of Non-Starch Polysaccharides in Wheat Rye Addition Lines

Abstract

Content of dietary fiber (DF) as well as content and composition of non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) were evaluated in the disomic, wheat rye addition lines and octoploid triticale compared to their parental species - wheat (Grana) and rye (Dankowskie Zlote). A large variation in the content of NSP and DF fractions was observed in wheat rye addition lines, especially in the soluble fractions. The level of soluble NSP found in 3RS (0.61% of grain) was significantly lower (P<0.05), than in wheat (0.91%) whereas in 3R and 1R (0.88%) it was similar to that of wheat. The highest level of soluble NSP was found in 2R (2.13%) and 5R (1.65%), although 5R had an intermediate level of total NSP (8.57%), while in 2R (9.34%) the highest level of NSP was observed in both NSP fractions. A major differences in sugar composition of soluble NSP have been found in 2R and 5R, where the glucose polymers were the main constituent (57.3% and 46.7%, respectively) in contrast to the rest of wheat rye addition lines, octoploid triticale, wheat and rye, where arabinoxylans (AX) were found to be prevailing among NSP constituents (on average 58.0%, 65.2%, 57.1% and 65.0%, respectively). In the addition lines 6R, 6RL, 4R and octoploid triticale the highest content of soluble AX has been found (0.87%, 0.78%, 0.78% and 0.82% of the grain), although it was twofold lower, than the respective value for rye (1.91%). On the other hand these samples exhibited an intermediate level of soluble NSP. The octoploid triticale demonstrated the highest content of total AX (7.69%), exceeding that of rye (7.02%) as well as in addition lines 4R, 6R and 6RL the high, approximate that of rye content of total AX has been observed (7.45%, 7.28% and 6.84%). It seems that soluble dietary fiber (SDF) analysis might be used as preliminary screening test of cell wall components in wheat rye addition lines, although to detailed study more precisely analysis of NSP by gas chromatography is recommended.