ALTERATION IN α-TOCOPHEROL, SOME MINERALS, AND FATTY ACID CONTENTS OF WHEAT THROUGH SPROUTING

Abstract

In this study, two wheat cultivars (cvs Demir 2000 and Konya 2002) were sprouted at 17 degrees C and 85% relative humidity for 9 days. Then the wheat sprouts were dried and ground. The wheats and their sprouts were analyzed for alpha-tocopherol, some minerals, and fatty acid contents during the sprouting. The alpha-tocopherol contents of cvs Demir 2000 and Konya 2002 were 26.99 and 23.77 mg/kg, respectively, and these values reached 54.62 and 47.19 mg/kg for their sprouts, respectively. Mineral analyses showed that the mineral contents of the sprouts also increased with sprouting. Fatty acids, e.g., 4:0, 6:0, 8:0, and 10:0, could not be detected in the sprouts while some of them, e.g., cis-18:1 and cis,cis-18:2, were decreasing during sprouting, but an increase in 18:3 n3 (omega-3) contents was noted. The results showed that sprouting of wheat grains leads to an increase in some significant functional components.