Winter rye (Secale cereale L.) antioxidant capacity, total phenolic content and quality indices

A. Linina¹*, I. Augspole¹, I. Romanova² and S. Kuzel³

¹Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, Faculty of Agriculture, Institute of Soil and Plant Sciences, Liela street 2, LV–3001 Jelgava, Latvia
²Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, K. Helmana street 2, LV–3001 Jelgava, Latvia
³University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Agroecosystems, Studentska 1668, CZ37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
*Correspondence: anda.linina@llu.lv

Abstract:

Rye (Secale cereale L.) grain is an excellent raw material for healthy and tasty foods. Rye products are characterized by their unique composition and properties such as antioxidant capacity and total phenolic. The aim of the study was to assess radical scavenging capacity, total phenolic content, protein, starch content and falling number in rye varieties wholemeal. The trial included population winter rye varieties ‘Kaupo’, ‘Amilo’, ‘Dankowskie Amber’, ‘Dankowskie Rubin’, ‘Inspector’ and hybrid rye varieties ‘SU Drive’, ‘SU Mephisto’, ‘SU Bendix’, ‘Brasetto’, ‘Palazzo’ grown in Latvia. The antioxidant activity was determined using the DPPH (2.2-diphenyl-1-1-picrylhydrazyl radical) assay and total phenolic content was determined spectrophotometrically according to the Folin-Ciocalteou method. The rye grain antioxidant capacity was estimated as Trolox equivalent, while the total phenolic content was expressed as gallic equivalents (GAE). ‘Su Drive’ rye variety contained the largest amount of total phenolic (average 208 mg GAE 100 g^-1 DW), but the lowest – ‘Inspector’ rye variety 176 mg GAE 100 g^-1 DW. In general, all rye samples tested in this study demonstrated similar level of antioxidant capacity (from 38.5 to 46.2 mmol Trolox eq. 100 g^-1). Statistically higher (P < 0.05) total phenols content and falling number had hybrid rye grains, compared to the population rye grains. In the present trial, the differences between hybrid varieties grains protein and starch content comparing to population varieties were not observed.

Key words:

antioxidant capacity, falling number, phenolic, protein, rye, starch

Influence of nitrogen and weather conditions on the grain quality of winter triticale

M. Alaru, Ü. Laur and E. Jaama

Department of Field Crop Husbandry, Estonian Agricultural University, Kreutzwaldi 64, 51008 Tartu, Estonia; e-mail: malaru@hot.ee

Abstract:

The protein content and falling numbers of five winter triticale cultivars were tested in very different weather conditions (1998/1999–2000/2001) on Stagnic Luvisol soils (WRB classification) in the experimental fields of the Department of Field Crop Husbandry of the Estonian Agricultural University near Tartu (58°23´N, 26°44´E). All cultivars were fertilised with nitrogen fertiliser (NH4NO3) in early spring, using a norm of 0–200 kg N ha-1 (increasing the amonts of fertiliser by 20 kg ha-1). Fertilising with nitrogen after hibernation at the tillering stage in early spring increased the protein content of seeds averaged over years and cultivars by up to 1.57% in dry matter. Protein levels depended most on the cultivar, less on the weather conditions of the growth year and least on the nitrogen fertiliser (the determination indices of a dispersion analysis were 0.35, 0.32 and 0.14, respectively). The yield and protein content were in negative correlation (r = 0,92*). Due to very different weather conditions during the growth period, the figures of the falling number were very different in different years.

Key words: