FATTY ACID COMPOSITION OF OIL FROM GRAIN OF SOME TETRAPLOID WHEAT SPECIES

Although wheat has never been considered an oil crop, oil from wheat germs and bran is valuable because it contains important bioactive compounds. Most of studies in this area were conducted with traditional commercial wheat varieties. At the same time, the interest of breeders, producers and consumers is going back to ancient and underutilized wheats species. In this respect, we set the purpose to evaluate tetraploid wheat species (Triticum. dicoccoides var. pseudojordanicum, Triticum dicoccum, Triticum timofeevii, Triticum persicum var rubiginosum, Triticum durum var. falcatamelanopus, Triticum polonicum var. pseudocompactum and Triticum aethiopicum var. densimenelikii) for fatty acid composition. Grain was harvested in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. Fatty acid methyl esters were prepared by the modified Peisker method. Fatty acid composition was analyzed by gas chromatography. Six major fatty acids were found in grain of tetraploid wheat species, with linoleic acid being the most abundant. The ratio of unsaturated acids to saturated ones in grain of wild emmer T. dicoccoides var. pseudojordanicum was slightly lower than in the domestic emmer varieties. T. timofeevii, emmer varieties Holikovska and Romanivska and radium wheat variety Spadschina had the most beneficial unsaturated/saturated ratios. As conclusion there was no evidence of deterioration in the grain quality in terms of unsaturated fatty acid levels, and we observed no patterns in variability of fatty acid contents across the species under investigation. Fatty acid composition was analyzed by gas chromatography. Six major fatty acids were found in grain of tetraploid wheat species, with linoleic acid being the most abundant. The ratio of unsaturated acids to saturated ones in grain of wild emmer T. dicoccoides var. pseudojordanicum was slightly lower than in the domestic emmer varieties. T. timofeevii, emmer varieties Holikovska and Romanivska and durum wheat variety Spadschina had the most beneficial unsaturated/saturated ratios. There was no evidence of deterioration in the grain quality in terms of unsaturated fatty acid levels. We observed no patterns in variability of fatty acid contents across the species under investigation.