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The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of variety and plant environment on nutritional composition, phenolic contents and antioxidant activities from commercial wheat cultivars grown in Pakistan. Chemical composition, total phenolic contents and antioxidant activities were measured in twenty-seven spring wheat varieties grown for two cropping years. Preliminary assessment of antioxidant strength of the extracts was carried out by the evaluation of total phenolic contents (TPC), antioxidant activity (AA) and free radical scavenging activity (FRSA). The grain length, width and a thousand kernel weight of different wheat varieties ranged from 6.75-6.77 mm, 3.44-3.45 mm and 42.95-45.16 g respectively. Similarly, the moisture, ash, crude fat, crude fiber, crude protein, wet gluten, dry gluten, flour gliadins, flour glutenins contents and SDS-sedimentation value varied from 10.23-10.61%, 1.47-1.48%, 1.16-1.21%, 1.37-1.40%, 11.86-12.02%, 25.39-25.46%, 8.85-8.87%, 0.46-0.52%, 0.46-0.49% and 24.99-25.85 ml respectively among different wheat varieties. In the same way, the results for total phenolic contents, free radical scavenging activity (DPPH assay) and antioxidant activity via beta carotene bleaching assay varied from 12.40-11.73 mg GE/g, 18.48-18.99% and 14.23-15.97% respectively. Our research clearly indicated that wheat variety, input conditions, environmental and genotypic variations gave effects on the phenolic antioxidant properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research project was undertaken to study salinity stress changes in the nutritional quality of wheat genotypes. Four wheat genotypes SARC-1, SARC-5, SARC-7, and SARC-8 were grown under nonsaline and saline (7.5 dS/m and 15 dS/m) treatments. Salinity was created artificially by the addition of NaCl in soil before filling in pots. Recommended fertilizers N (120 kg/ha), P (100 kg/ha) and K (60 kg/ha) were used in the form of Urea, diammonium phosphate (DAP) and sulphate of potash (SOP) in both saline and non-saline treatments. The grains of wheat genotypes were evaluated for nutritional quality i.e. chemical composition, mineral contents, wet and dry gluten, gliadin and glutenin, and SDS-sedimentation value. The results showed that growth parameters (biological yield, number of grains, thousand grain weight, grain yield and grain length) were affected significantly by salinity stress. Protein contents were increased with salinity, whereas other parameters (moisture, ash, fat, fiber, glutenin, and SDS-Sedimentation value) were decreased by increasing salinity stress. Similarly, Na content increased while K, Ca, P, Fe, Mg and Zn decreased significantly by increasing salinity stress. Salinity stress affect positively on protein contents in grain of all wheat genotypes. SARC-7 and SARC-5 performed better than SARC-1 and SARC-8. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]