Phenolic acid composition and antioxidant activity of hard red winter wheat varieties

Whole wheat consumption is associated with reduced risk of chronic diseases. This study determined total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), free radical scavenging activities, metal chelating activity, and phenolic acid composition of 12 hard red winter wheat varieties. TPC, TFC, antioxidant activity, and metal chelating activity varied significantly among different varieties. Trans-ferulic acid, syringic acid, vanillic acid, p-coumaric acid, sinapic acid, and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid were detected and quantified in free, conjugated, and bound fractions. Overall, LCS Mint and WB Grainfield varieties have higher phenolic and flavonoid content. Everest, SY Monument and T158 varieties have stronger antioxidant activity. Positive correlations were obtained between total phenolic acid content and antioxidant activity. Our result suggested that phenolic acid composition and antioxidant activity of hard wheat are highly dependent on their genotypes.