Impact of pulsed electric field treatments on the growth parameters of wheat seeds and nutritional properties of their wheat plantlets juice.

Zahoor Ahmed,Muhammad Faisal Manzoor,Ume Roobab,Zia Ud Din,Xin-An Zeng,Rabia Siddique,Azhari Siddeeg,Nazir Ahmad,Abdul Qayum,Abdul Rahaman

doi:10.1002/fsn3.1540

Abstract

This study was designed to explore the impacts of the pulsed electric field (PEF; 2 to 6 kV/cm; a number of pulses 25 and 50) on wheat (Tritium aestivum L.) seeds before imbibition to improve the germination, growth, and their nutritional profile in juice form. It was observed that the PEF treatment at 6 kV/cm at 50 pulses increased water uptake, germination of seeds, and growth parameters of seedlings. A significant increase in total phenolic contents, DPPH, chlorophylls, carotenoids, soluble proteins, minerals, and amino acids in PEF‐treated seeds plantlets juice as compared to the untreated seeds plantlets juice was observed. The results indicate that the PEF may effectively stimulate the growth of the wheat kernels and positively affect their metabolism, optimize the nutrients, and enhance the strength of the wheat kernels plantlets.

Highlights

Wheat kernel (Tritium aestivum L.) is a staple food grown worldwide
Our results indicate that the most significant effect of pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment was observed at 6 kV/cm with 50 pulses and the length of plantlets increased from 3% to 9% for untreated to the highest intensity-treated seeds
The present study demonstrates the use of PEF technology to manipulate a living plant system

Summary

Introduction

Wheat kernel (Tritium aestivum L.) is a staple food grown worldwide. The human body needs carbohydrates, protein, vitamins, minerals, fibers, and antioxidants such as tocopherols, carotenoids, phenolic acids, phytic acid, flavonoids, tocotrienols, and phytosterols, which are commonly present in wheat kernels (Abdel-Aal & Rabalski, 2008). | 2491 known as a good source of bioactive compounds (ferulic, benzo(a)pyrene, caffeic, p-coumaric acid, gallic, and syringic), minerals (iron, magnesium, and calcium), and vitamins (A, B, C, and E; Akbas et al, 2017). The demands for functional foods and especially nutrient-dense foods have been increased. The plantlets of different crops are considered an excellent source of bioactive compounds, which makes them the best functional food (Marton, Mandoki, Csapo-Kiss, & Csapo, 2010). ; the market demand for plantlets is decreased due to the quality of plantlet metabolites. To overcome these problems, extrinsic compounds are used but they are evenly distributed to the kernels and could cause undesirable changes (Pérez-Balibrea, Moreno, & García-Viguera, 2011)

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