University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU) - Research portal
Gewählte Doctoral Thesis:
Firdissa Eticha Bokore
(2008):
Hull-less barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and pigmented wheat (Triticum L.): Genetic diversity for healthy food.
Doctoral Thesis,
BOKU-Universität für Bodenkultur,
pp 172.
UB BOKU
obvsg
- Abstract:
- Cereals are the cheapest and readily available ingredients of human food providing energy, protein, nutrients and other valuable ingredients. Enhancing their nutritional status and balance will ultimately improve the health and wellbeing of the society. Barley (Hordeum vulgare) and wheat (Triticum L.) are among the most important cereals used as staple food, industrial raw material, and livestock feed. The first part of the thesis deals with a field study carried out to investigate on-farm diversity and utilization of barley and wheat in two districts of West Shewa, Ethiopia. Diverse barley and wheat landraces having various uses in food and beverage making were documented. However, this genetic diversity is under serious threat of genetic erosion. In the second part a collection of hull-less barley and anthocyanin pigmented wheats or worldwide origin was investigated for their agronomic and quality traits. Two years’ field experiments showed significant variation among barley and wheat genotypes. Released varieties were generally superior in grain yield but often lack specific quality traits. Genotypes which could be used to improve agronomic traits such as test weight, grain mass and grain grading were identified. Genotypic as well as environmental effects were important for variation of total phenolic content and anthocyanin content. Generally, barley had higher contents of phenolics (166 to 295 mg per 100 g ferulic acid equivalents) and anthocyanins (3 to 285 ppm cyanidin-3-glucoside equivalents) than wheat (123 to 161 mg per 100 g and 4 to 62 ppm, respectively). Yellow pigment content of barley (4 to 9 ppm beta-carotene equivalents) was slightly larger than that of wheat (3 to 8 ppm), whereas protein content was similar, ranging from 12 to 18%. Beta-glucan content ranged from 3 to 7% in barley; the highest values were observed for genotypes with waxy starch.