Evaluation of pigment, antioxidant capacity and bioactive compounds in microgreens of wheat landraces and cereals

Landraces that adapt to all kinds of stress factors over thousands of years are considered a very important genetic resource. In this study, antioxidant activities, bioactive compounds, and pigment contents of microgreen in Kose and Kirik wheat landraces, which are used extensively in bread making especially in rural areas of Eastern Anatolia, and some cereals, were examined. In the study, chlorophyll (CHLdx), flavonol (FLV), anthocyanin (ANT), and N balance index (NBI) were measured in fresh material with a Dualex device. Also, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), ascorbic acid (AAC) content and pigment values such as total chlorophyll (TCHL), chlorophyll a (CHLa), chlorophyll b (CHLb) and carotenoid content (CAR) were determined. It was observed that TAC capacity of wheat landraces was more than twice that of other cereals (except `Alparslan') and their NBI, AAC, ANT and FLV contents were low. Kirik landrace had high TCHL, CHLa, CHLb and CAR content, while Kose landrace had low all pigment values. Besides, NBI content of barley, AAC and FLV content of oat cultivars and ANT content of wheat 'Alparslan' were high as a group. The CHLdx values of barley and oats were twice that of wheat. A very important and positive correlation was determined between TCHL with CHLa, CHLb, and CAR contents. Also, correlations between CHLa with CHLb and CAR, and between CHLb with CAR was important and positive. In the study, especially TAC capacities of local wheat varieties were significantly higher.