Technological Quality and Nutritional Value of Two Durum Wheat Varieties Depend on Both Genetic and Environmental Factors

Abstract

Durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. subsp. durum (Desf.) Husn) is a major food source in Mediterranean countries since it is utilized for the production of pasta, leavened and unleavened breads, couscous, and other traditional foods. The technological and nutritional properties of durum wheat semolina depend mainly on the type of gluten proteins and on their amount, which is a genotype- and environment-dependent trait. Gluten proteins are also responsible for celiac disease (CD), an autoimmune enteropathy with a prevalence of about 0.7–2% in the human population. At this purpose, two Italian durum wheat cultivars, Saragolla and Cappelli, currently used for monovarietal pasta, were chosen to compare (i) the reserve and embryo proteome, (ii) the free and bound phenolics, antioxidant activity, and amino acid composition, and (iii) the content of immunogenic peptides produced after a simulated gastrointestinal digestion. The results obtained from 2 years of field cultivation on average showed a higher amount of gluten proteins, amino acids, and immunogenic peptides in Cappelli. Saragolla showed a higher abundance in bound phenolics, antioxidant enzymes, and stress response proteins in line with its higher antioxidant activity. However, the impact of the year of cultivation, largely depending on varying rainfall regimes through the wheat growth cycle, was significant for most of the parameters investigated. Differences in technological and nutritional characteristics observed between the two cultivars are discussed in relation to the influence of genetic and environmental factors.

Proteomic analysis of reserve proteins in commercial rice cultivars

“…Peptides were also analyzed by ORBITRAP MS/MS using the system LTQ Orbitrap XL (Thermo Fisher Scientific), as previously reported (Graziano et al, ). This analysis was performed either as a confirmation of the MALDI/TOF results or as an alternative when MALDI/TOF failed.…”

Biological role and health benefits of antioxidant compounds in cereals

“…High contents of ferulic acid and three important flavonoids, together with significant antioxidant activity, were registered in the grain of maize. This crop may be regarded as a potential source of antioxidants in functional food products (Adom and Liu, 2002;Žilić et al, 2011;Guo and Beta, 2013;Das and Singh, 2015).…”

“…The bran of rice, wheat, oat, barley, sorghum, millet, rye and maize contained phenolic acids (ferulic acid), flavonoids (anthocyanins), vitamins (carotenoids and tocols), folates and other compounds (Guo and Beta, 2013;Patel, 2015). Preparations isolated from rye bran manifested higher antioxidant activity, despite the lower total level of polyphenols (Rosicka-Kaczmarek et al, 2018).…”

Proteins and Metabolites as Indicators of Flours Quality and Nutritional Properties of Two Durum Wheat Varieties Grown in Different Italian Locations

“…Environmental stress affects the quantity and quality of the reserve proteins and starch accumulation in wheat kernels [12,13], as well as the genotype [14]. In Mediterranean environments, water scarcity, which is often associated with high temperatures during flowering and grain filling, becomes a main factor influencing the durum wheat yield as well as the protein quality and quantity [15].…”

“…In Mediterranean environments, water scarcity, which is often associated with high temperatures during flowering and grain filling, becomes a main factor influencing the durum wheat yield as well as the protein quality and quantity [15]. It is widely accepted that the genotype, growing environment, and their interaction affect both the quality traits and the nutrient composition of wheat [14,16]. Heat stress and water deficit during growth also cause a significant reduction in starch content, which may reflect the kernel weight and diameter [17], increasing the pasting temperature and causing higher viscosity of the dough [18,19].…”