Determination of the Content of Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant

Activity in a Synthetic Blue-Grained Wheat Amphiploid

Leonard-Alexandru Dumitru¹, Daniel Cristina¹, Alina-Gabriela Turcu¹,
Elena-Laura Conțescu¹, Aglaia Popa², Matilda Ciucă¹

 ¹National Agricultural Research and Development Institute Fundulea
²University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest

Keywords: synthetic amphiploids, anthocyanins, blue aleurone, colored wheat.

Abstract: Wheat is an important crop, providing more than 20% of the total calories in the human diet, and is considered a source of carbohydrates, proteins, minerals, vitamins and fiber. The biochemical composition of wheat can be improved by exploiting wild species and by introgression of genes involved in anthocyanin synthesis at the level of caryopses. Due to their antioxidant activity, anthocyanins are compounds of interest, contributing to the prevention of diseases associated with oxidative stress.
The synthetic amphiploid E-31 A developed at NARDI Fundulea by crossing durum wheat variety Condur with Triticum monococcum subsp. boeoticum is characterized by blue grains, a trait determined by the distribution of anthocyanins in the aleurone layer.
This study aimed to evaluate the antioxidant activity and determine the content of bioactive compounds (polyphenols, flavonoids and anthocyanins) in blue wheat grains, compared with two modern wheat cultivars - Pitar and Columna.
The results indicated that the synthetic amphiploid had a higher total content of phenolic compounds and flavonoids in the grains than the control cultivars, Pitar and Columna. Furthermore, the blue wheat grains showed a higher total anthocyanin content (0.194 mg Cyd-3-glu/g DW) than Pitar (0.034) and Columna (0.036). Antioxidant activity, measured as DPPH IC₅₀ (mg/mL), was greatest in the blue aleurone genotype (14.011), followed by Columna (22.473) and Pitar (26.783).
In conclusion, the synthetic amphiploid E-31 A exhibits significantly higher levels of bioactive compounds, highlighting the potential of blue wheat as a functional food. These studies provide a strong basis for the pre-breeding program aimed at developing wheat lines with increased bioactive compound content and enhanced health benefits.

Acknowledgments: This work was funded by the MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT - Romania (projects ADER321/2019-2022 and ADER311/2023-2026).