The profile of bioactive compounds in the grain of various x Tritordeum genotypes

Abstract

The content of bound phenolic acids, flavonoids and carotenoids was compared in the grain of eleven Tritordeum breeding lines and two cultivars of durum wheat. Ferulic and t-cinnamic acids occurred in the highest concentrations and accounted for 89% of total phenolic acids in Tritordeum and 80% in T. durum. The total concentration of bound phenolic acids was determined at 2063 mg kg−1 on average in Tritordeum, and it was nearly two-fold higher than in durum wheat (1056 mg kg−1). The total concentration of the identified flavonoids in grain was nearly 50% higher in Tritordeum than in durum wheat. The studied lines differed considerably in zeaxanthin content. The lutein/zeaxanthin ratio was closer to 5 in Tritordeum than in durum wheat grain. This ratio of around 5 is generally assumed to deliver health benefits. The grain of the analyzed Tritordeum lines was characterized by significantly higher antioxidant activity than T. durum grain.