Investigation of Phenolic Composition and Antioxidant Capacities in Selected Turkish Indigenous Wheat Varieties

Indigenous wheat varieties continue to be cultivated and preserved due to their climatic adaptability and distinctive flavor contributions to cultural cuisines. This study covers the research gap by investigating the natural bioactive and antioxidant compounds present in Turkish indigenous wheat varieties. To this aim, the phenolic composition, ash contents, and antioxidant capacity were investigated in eighteen different indigenous Turkish wheat varieties (4 monococcum, 3 dicoccum, 4 durum, and 7 aestivum genotypes). An overall comprehensive analysis was carried out using statistical tools such as Heatmap and PCA (Principal component analysis). The results indicated that dicoccum genotype exhibited highest soluble free (49.04 mg) and soluble conjugated phenolics (188.54 mg), whereas aestivum was found rich in insoluble bound (873.89 mg), total phenolic (1058.35 mg GAE/kg dm), and total flavonoid (380.43 mg CE/kg dm) contents. Moreover, monococcum, dicoccum, and durum genotypes exhibited non-significantly higher total antioxidant capacities compared to the aestivum wheat genotype. In conclusion, indigenous wheat varieties, particularly from the dicoccum and aestivum genotypes, have the potential to be a significant source of phenolic and antioxidant compounds. These findings suggest promising prospects for the selection of indigenous wheat varieties under on-farm conservation programs for future commercialization and breeding programs.