The chemical composition of barley grain (Hordeum vulgare L.) landraces from the Canary Islands

Abstract

Proximate composition (moisture, protein, fat, ash and carbohydrate components such as total carbohydrates, starch, amylose, dietary fibre, sucrose and fructose), pH and acidity were determined in eighteen wheat landraces cultivars from the Canary Islands in order to establish differences between them and contribute to their characterization. All the parameters analyzed showed significant differences between the analyzed cultivars; and also many parameters were affected by the specie and subspecie of wheat considered. The samples of Triticum aestivum had higher mean moisture, protein and fibre and lower mean starch, sucrose, and amylose concentrations than those samples belonging to Triticum turgidum. Low starch content and high fibre content could be due to the transformation of starch in resistant starch in the desiccation process of wheat grains. An important contribution to the daily intake of complex carbohydrates including fibre, as well as of protein and phenolic compounds was observed for the consumption of wheat.