Organically vs conventionally grown winter wheat: Effects on grain yield, technological quality, and on phenolic composition and antioxidant properties of bran and refined flour
Volume 175, 15 May 2015, Pages 445–451
Highlights
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- Bread-making quality and yield of organic wheat were lower than conventional wheat.
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- The cropping systems did not affect the total amounts of phenols and phenolic acids.
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- The composition and amounts of phenolics were affected by the milling fractions.
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- Organic farming can maintain or increase the health benefits of the milling products.
Abstract
Since
organic food is widely assumed to have a better nutritional quality
than conventional food, our aim was to study the effects of organic vs
conventional cropping systems on yield and the phenolic composition of
winter wheat cv. ‘Bologna’. Although organic wheat yielded less than
conventional wheat, mainly due to the nitrogen shortage, and its
bread-making quality was lower, the cultivation system did not affect
the total amounts of phenolics and phenolic acids. Of the eight phenolic
acids identified, only ferulic acid was influenced by the cultivation
system. Phenolic composition and quantity were significantly affected by
the milling fraction (bran or white flour): phenolics were more
concentrated in the bran, which showed the highest antioxidant power.
Under the conditions adopted in this study, an organic cropping system
can maintain or even increase the health properties of the wheat milled
products, provided a reduction in grain yield is accepted.
Keywords
- Organic farming;
- Winter wheat;
- Flour;
- Bran;
- Total phenolics;
- Phenolic acids;
- Antioxidant activity;
- DPPH and ABTS assays
