Identification of QTL for Alkylresorcinols in Wheat and Development of KASP Markers for Marker-Assisted Selection of Health-Promoting Varieties.

This study evaluated alkylresorcinol concentration (ARC) in recombinant inbred lines (RILs) from the cross of Zhongmai 578 and Jimai 22 in three environments. ARC exhibited a continuous distribution ranging from 337.4 to 758.0, 495.4-768.0, and 456.3-764.7 µg/g, respectively, in three environments. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated significant (P < 0.001) impacts of genotypes, environments, and their interactions. The broad-sense heritability of ARC was 0.76. Genome-wide linkage mapping analysis identified four stable quantitative trait loci (QTL) for ARC on chromosomes 2A, 3A, 4D, and 7A. Kompetitive allele-specific PCR (KASP) marker of each QTL was developed and validated in 206 representative wheat varieties. Wheat varieties harboring 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 favorable alleles had ARC of 499.1, 587.8, 644.7, 668.5, and 711.1 µg/g, respectively. This study suggests that combining multiple minor-effect QTL through KASP markers can serve as an effective strategy for breeding high-ARC wheat, thereby enhancing innovations in functional food production.

Microplastics have additive effects on cadmium accumulation and toxicity in Rice flower carp (Procypris merus).

Procypris merus, a local fish species found in Guangxi, China is often exposed to both microplastics (MPs) and Cd. However, it remains unclear how these two pollutants affect P. merus. Therefore, we investigated the effects of MPs on Cd accumulation in P. merus. To this end, P. merus was separately exposed to Cd and MPs (500 µg/L) or their combination for 14 days. We found that MPs enhanced Cd accumulation in liver and gills of P. merus. Further, both the single-contaminant (MP and Cd) and combined treatments resulted in lesions in these two tissues, with more severe damage associated with the combined treatment. Even though the effect of MP on the antioxidant defense system of P. merus was limited, the Cd-only and combined treatments considerably affected the antioxidant parameters of P. merus, with the combined treatment showing a stronger effect. GO and KEGG analyses revealed that the differentially expressed genes (DEGs; TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand receptor, trail-r) in the Cd-only treatment group were enriched for immune-related GO terms and cell growth and death related pathways, indicating that Cd toxicity affected immune defense in P. merus. The MP-only treatment downregulated DEGs (acyl-CoA synthetase long chain family member 1a, acsl1a) related to lipid metabolism, possibly leading to lipid accumulation in the liver. The combined treatment also upregulated DEGs (aspartate aminotransferase 1, ast 1) associated with immune-related GO terms and amino acid metabolism pathways, suggesting that it affected immune function in P. merus, thereby negatively impacting its health. Results indicated that MPs have additive effects on Cd accumulation and toxicity in rice flower carp. Consequently, MPs ingested by P. merus can promote Cd accumulation, more adverse effects on the health may occur after combined exposure, which can eventually reach humans through the food chain and pose potential risks to human health.

Beyond pathways: Accelerated flavonoids candidate identification and novel exploration of enzymatic properties using combined mapping populations of wheat.

Although forward-genetics-metabolomics methods such as mGWAS and mQTL have proven effective in providing myriad loci affecting metabolite contents, they are somehow constrained by their respective constitutional flaws such as the hidden population structure for GWAS and insufficient recombinant rate for QTL. Here, the combination of mGWAS and mQTL was performed, conveying an improved statistical power to investigate the flavonoid pathways in common wheat. A total of 941 and 289 loci were, respectively, generated from mGWAS and mQTL, within which 13 of them were co-mapped using both approaches. Subsequently, the mGWAS or mQTL outputs alone and their combination were, respectively, utilized to delineate the metabolic routes. Using this approach, we identified two MYB transcription factor encoding genes and five structural genes, and the flavonoid pathway in wheat was accordingly updated. Moreover, we have discovered some rare-activity-exhibiting flavonoid glycosyl- and methyl-transferases, which may possess unique biological significance, and harnessing these novel catalytic capabilities provides potentially new breeding directions. Collectively, we propose our survey illustrates that the forward-genetics-metabolomics approaches including multiple populations with high density markers could be more frequently applied for delineating metabolic pathways in common wheat, which will ultimately contribute to metabolomics-assisted wheat crop improvement.

Dynamic metabolite QTL analyses provide novel biochemical insights into kernel development and nutritional quality improvement in common wheat.

Despite recent advances in crop metabolomics, the genetic control and molecular basis of the wheat kernel metabolome at different developmental stages remain largely unknown. Here, we performed widely targeted metabolite profiling of kernels from three developmental stages (grain-filling kernels [FKs], mature kernels [MKs], and germinating kernels [GKs]) using a population of 159 recombinant inbred lines. We detected 625 annotated metabolites and mapped 3173, 3143, and 2644 metabolite quantitative trait loci (mQTLs) in FKs, MKs, and GKs, respectively. Only 52 mQTLs were mapped at all three stages, indicating the high stage specificity of the wheat kernel metabolome. Four candidate genes were functionally validated by in vitro enzymatic reactions and/or transgenic approaches in wheat, three of which mediated the tricin metabolic pathway. Metabolite flux efficiencies within the tricin pathway were evaluated, and superior candidate haplotypes were identified, comprehensively delineating the tricin metabolism pathway in wheat. Finally, additional wheat metabolic pathways were re-constructed by updating them to incorporate the 177 candidate genes identified in this study. Our work provides new information on variations in the wheat kernel metabolome and important molecular resources for improvement of wheat nutritional quality.

Seawater as supplemental moisture: The effect of Co-hydrothermal carbonization products obtained from chicken manure and cornstalk.

The use of seawater as a substitute for pure water as supplemental moisture raises questions about its effect on the physicochemical properties of hydrochar. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the feasibility of using seawater as supplemental moisture by comparing the physicochemical properties of products obtained through Co-hydrothermal carbonization of chicken manure and cornstalk under seawater and deionized water conditions. By varying the HTC temperature and blending ratios of CM and CS to investigate comprehensively the effect of seawater. Results indicated that the hydrochar yield experienced a variation from 54.54% to 57.40%, while the IC value changed from 7.69% to 8.46% as the ratio of CM:CS shifted from 3:1 to 1:3 under seawater conditions. The higher heating value of the hydrochars obtained under seawater conditions was lower than those obtained under deionized water conditions. This suggests that seawater conditions promote the hydrolysis reaction of organic solid waste. Furthermore, it was observed that when no lignin hydrolysis reaction occurred, seawater conditions had no discernible effect on the fuel quality of the hydrochar. However, at an HTC temperature of 250 °C, the fuel quality of the hydrochar obtained under seawater conditions was notably inferior to that of the hydrochar obtained under deionized water. Thus, an HTC temperature lower than 250 °C is necessary for the hydrothermal carbonization of organic solid waste under seawater conditions. Moreover, the relative content of surface -C-(C, H)/CC of the hydrochar obtained under seawater conditions was lower than that obtained under deionized water conditions, indicating that the hydrochar had a low degree of aromatization. Additionally, there was a significant increase in the immobilized Mg atoms in the hydrochar under seawater conditions, which affected the hydrochar yield and higher heating value of the hydrochar. This research presents a theoretical foundation for preparing solid fuels and materials using hydrothermal carbonization of saltwater as supplemental moisture.

Efficient proteome-wide identification of transcription factors targeting Glu-1: A case study for functional validation of TaB3-2A1 in wheat.

High-molecular-weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GS), a major component of seed storage proteins (SSP) in wheat, largely determine processing quality. HMW-GS encoded by GLU-1 loci are mainly controlled at the transcriptional level by interactions between cis-elements and transcription factors (TFs). We previously identified a conserved cis-regulatory module CCRM1-1 as the most essential cis-element for Glu-1 endosperm-specific high expression. However, the TFs targeting CCRM1-1 remained unknown. Here, we built the first DNA pull-down plus liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry platform in wheat and identified 31 TFs interacting with CCRM1-1. TaB3-2A1 as proof of concept was confirmed to bind to CCRM1-1 by yeast one hybrid and electrophoretic mobility shift assays. Transactivation experiments demonstrated that TaB3-2A1 repressed CCRM1-1-driven transcription activity. TaB3-2A1 overexpression significantly reduced HMW-GS and other SSP, but enhanced starch content. Transcriptome analyses confirmed that enhanced expression of TaB3-2A1 down-regulated SSP genes and up-regulated starch synthesis-related genes, such as TaAGPL3, TaAGPS2, TaGBSSI, TaSUS1 and TaSUS5, suggesting that it is an integrator modulating the balance of carbon and nitrogen metabolism. TaB3-2A1 also had significant effects on agronomic traits, including heading date, plant height and grain weight. We identified two major haplotypes of TaB3-2A1 and found that TaB3-2A1-Hap1 conferred lower seed protein content, but higher starch content, plant height and grain weight than TaB3-2A1-Hap2 and was subjected to positive selection in a panel of elite wheat cultivars. These findings provide a high-efficiency tool to detect TFs binding to targeted promoters, considerable gene resources for dissecting regulatory mechanisms underlying Glu-1 expression, and a useful gene for wheat improvement.

Potential use of hydroxyapatite combined with hydrated lime or zeolite to promote growth and reduce cadmium transfer in the soil-celery-human system.

Although hydroxyapatite (HAP) can prominently lower Cd uptake by celery from Cd-polluted soil, its high application rates in reality may lead to high cost and potential environmental risk. Therefore, we aimed to clarify whether combined amendments of HAP and another low-cost material (hydrated lime, corn straw-derived biochar, or zeolite) with reduced application rate of each single amendment could significantly decrease Cd transfer in soil-celery-human system without side effect on celery growth through a pot experiment. Results revealed that adding biochar, HAP, zeolite, or combined amendments had no obvious side effect on celery growth, while adding 0.3% hydrated lime significantly decreased fresh edible celery yield by 69.0%. Conversely, adding 0.5% HAP + 0.05% hydrated lime increased fresh edible celery yield by 39.8%. Additionally, adding HAP, zeolite, or hydrated lime rather than adding biochar effectively decreased total and bioaccessible Cd in edible celery. Similarly, HAP + hydrated lime and HAP + zeolite were much more efficient than HAP + biochar in lowering Cd transfer in soil-celery-human system. The total and bioaccessible Cd in edible celery were even reduced by over 50.0% after adding HAP + hydrated lime or HAP + zeolite at low rates. Considering the effects on celery growth and Cd transfer, HAP + hydrated lime and HAP + zeolite have the potential in remediating soil Cd contamination.

Adaptive Responses of the Sea Anemone Heteractis crispa to the Interaction of Acidification and Global Warming.

Ocean acidification and warming are two of the most important threats to the existence of marine organisms and are predicted to co-occur in oceans. The present work evaluated the effects of acidification (AC: 24 ± 0.1 °C and 900 µatm CO2), warming (WC: 30 ± 0.1 °C and 450 µatm CO2), and their combination (CC: 30 ± 0.1 °C and 900 µatm CO2) on the sea anemone, Heteractis crispa, from the aspects of photosynthetic apparatus (maximum quantum yield of photosystem II (PS II), chlorophyll level, and Symbiodiniaceae density) and sterol metabolism (cholesterol content and total sterol content). In a 15-day experiment, acidification alone had no apparent effect on the photosynthetic apparatus, but did affect sterol levels. Upregulation of their chlorophyll level is an important strategy for symbionts to adapt to high partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2). However, after warming stress, the benefits of high pCO2 had little effect on stress tolerance in H. crispa. Indeed, thermal stress was the dominant driver of the deteriorating health of H. crispa. Cholesterol and total sterol contents were significantly affected by all three stress conditions, although there was no significant change in the AC group on day 3. Thus, cholesterol or sterol levels could be used as important indicators to evaluate the impact of climate change on cnidarians. Our findings suggest that H. crispa might be relatively insensitive to the impact of ocean acidification, whereas increased temperature in the future ocean might impair viability of H. crispa.

Accumulation of Wheat Phenolic Acids under Different Nitrogen Rates and Growing Environments.

The health benefits of whole wheat grains are partially attributed to their phenolic acid composition, especially that of trans-ferulic acid (TFA), which is a powerful natural antioxidant. Breeders and producers are becoming interested in wheat with enhanced health-promoting effects. This study investigated the effects of different nitrogen (N) application rates (0, 42, 84, 126, and 168 N kg ha-1) on the phenolic acid composition of three wheat varieties in four locations for two years. The results indicate that the different N rates did not affect the TFA concentration but that they significantly affected the concentrations of para-coumaric acid, sinapic acid, and cis-ferulic acid in the wheat grains. A statistical analysis suggested that the wheat phenolic acid composition was predominantly determined by wheat variety, though there existed some interaction effect between the wheat variety and environments. The TFA concentration of the variety Jimai 22 was generally higher (with a mean value of 726.04 µg/g) but was easily affected by the environment, while the TFA concentration of the variety Zhongmai 578 (with a mean value of 618.01 µg/g) was more stable across the different environments. The results also suggest that it is possible to develop new wheat varieties with high yield potential, good end-use properties, and enhanced nutraceutical values.

Anthropogenic activities affecting metal transfer and health risk in plastic-shed soil-vegetable-human system via changing soil pH and metal contents.

Accumulation and concomitant risk of metals in plastic-shed soil (PSS)-vegetable system around industrial areas have attracted growing public concern recently, while limited studies have focused on human bioaccessible metals in various plastic-shed vegetables and health risk calculated using bioaccessible metals. Previous studies showed that intensive farming and industrial activities could prominently affect metal migration from PSS to vegetables via altering PSS pH, total and bioavailable metal contents. In contrast, whether changes in PSS pH and metal contents control bioaccessible metals in vegetables and health risk is still unknown. For PSS management and sustainable plastic-shed vegetable production in the areas with rapid industrialization, 41 PSS and 32 plastic-shed vegetable samples were sampled from the industrial areas of Yangtze River Delta, China to systematically clarify the specific connections among anthropogenic activities, soil pH and metal contents, and metal transfer and health risk in PSS-vegetable-human system. The results indicated that Cr and Cd contents in 15.6% and 9.38% of vegetable samples exceeded the allowable limits in China. Tolerable cancer risk existed and was mainly induced by bioaccessible Cr in vegetables. Decreased PSS pH mainly caused by heavy use of nitrogen fertilizers increased bioavailable Ni, Cd, Zn, Pb, and Cu in PSS and subsequently enhanced their total and bioaccessible contents in vegetables. Prominent Cr accumulation in PSS induced by industrial wastewater irrigation exacerbated Cr uptake by vegetables, which increased bioaccessible Cr in vegetables and contributed greatly to cancer risk. To reduce transfer and health risk especially of Cd and Cr in the food chain, some appropriate measures related to source control and remediation should be proposed for preventing and mitigating PSS acidification and Cr accumulation.

A comprehensive review of wheat phytochemicals: From farm to fork and beyond.

The health benefits of whole wheat consumption can be partially attributed to wheat's phytochemicals, including phenolic acids, flavonoids, alkylresorcinols, carotenoids, phytosterols, tocopherols, and tocotrienols. It is of increasing interest to produce whole wheat products that are rich in bioactive phytochemicals. This review provides the fundamentals of the chemistry, extraction, and occurrence of wheat phytochemicals and includes critical discussion of several long-lasting issues: (1) the commonly used nomenclature on distribution of wheat phenolic acids, namely, soluble-free, soluble-conjugated, and insoluble-bound phenolic acids; (2) different extraction protocols for wheat phytochemicals; and (3) the chemistry and application of in vitro antioxidant assays. This review further discusses recent advances on the effects of genotypes, environments, field management, and processing techniques including ultrafine grinding, germination, fermentation, enzymatic treatments, thermal treatments, and food processing. These results need to be interpreted with care due to varied sample preparation protocols and limitations of in vitro assays. The bioaccessibility, bioavailability, metabolism, and potential health benefits of wheat phytochemicals are also reviewed. This comprehensive and critical review will benefit scientific researchers in the field of bioactive compounds of cereal grains and also those in the cereal food industry to produce high-quality functional foods.

Quantitative assessment of wheat quality using near-infrared spectroscopy: A comprehensive review.

Wheat is one of the most widely cultivated crops throughout the world. A great need exists for wheat quality assessment for breeding, processing, and products production purposes. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a rapid, low-cost, simple, and nondestructive assessment method. Many advanced studies associated with NIRS for wheat quality assessment have been published recently, either introducing new chemometrics or attempting new assessment parameters to improve model robustness and accuracy. This review provides a comprehensive overview of NIRS methodology including its principle, spectra pretreatments, spectral wavelength selection, outlier disposal, dataset division, regression methods, and model evaluation. More importantly, the applications of NIRS in the determination of analytical parameters, rheological parameters, and end product quality of wheat are summarized. Although NIRS showed great potential in the quantitative determination of analytical parameters, there are still challenges in model robustness and accuracy in determining rheological parameters and end product quality for wheat products. Future model development needs to incorporate larger databases, integrate different spectroscopic techniques, and introduce cutting-edge chemometrics methods. In addition, calibration based on external factors should be considered to improve the predicted results of the model. The NIRS application in micronutrients needs to be extended. Last, the idea of combining standard product sensory attributes and spectra for model development deserves further study.

Normal rice flours perform better in gluten-free bread than glutinous rice flours.

This study aims to determine gluten-free bread-making potential of different types of rice, particularly comparing normal rice versus glutinous rice flours. Proximate and chemical compositions, hydration, and dough mixing and pasting properties of ten rice cultivars (i.e., seven types of normal rice and three types of glutinous rice), and quality parameters (specific volume, texture profile, and crumb structure) of gluten-free bread from these flours were assessed. Significant differences were observed in flour properties among different types of rice. Significant correlations were observed between bread specific volume and rice amylose content (r = 0.91, p < 0.01), as well as pasting peak time (r = 0.86, p < 0.01) and final viscosity (r = 0.77, p < 0.01). Further, strong correlations were observed between bread resilience and properties of rice flour, such as amylose content (r = 0.91, p < 0.01), pasting peak viscosity (r = 0.83, p < 0.01), and final viscosity (r = 0.93, p < 0.01). In conclusion, the normal rice types exhibited much better gluten-free bread-making performances than glutinous flour. Important parameters of rice flour determining its gluten-free bread-making properties include amylose content, water retention capacity, and pasting properties. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Compared with glutenous rice flour, normal rice flour leads to more viscous paste and gluten-free breads with larger volume, evener texture, and better resilience. This study provides guidance for practical uses of rice flours in improving gluten-free dough and bread quality.

Effect of environment and field management strategies on phenolic acid profiles of hard red winter wheat genotypes.

BACKGROUND: Integrated wheat management strategies can affect grain yield and flour end-use properties. However, the effect of integrated management and its interaction with environmental factors on the phenolic acid profiles of wheat has not been reported. The phenolic acid profile has become another parameter for the evaluation of wheat quality due to its potential health benefits. RESULTS: Year × location × management and year × management × genotype interactions were significant for the total phenolic content (TPC) of wheat samples. The year × location × management × genotype interaction was significant for the concentration of trans-ferulic acid and several other phenolic acids. Field management practices with no fungicide application (e.g., farmer's practice, enhanced fertility) may lead to increased accumulation of phenolic compounds, especially for WB4458, which is more susceptible to fungi infection. However, this effect was also related to growing year and location. Higher soil nitrogen content at sowing also seems to affect the TPC and phenolic acid concentration positively. CONCLUSION: Wheat phenolic acid profiles are affected by genotype, field management, environment, and their interactions. Intensified field management, in particular, may lead to decreased concentration of wheat phytochemicals. The level of naturally occurring nitrogen in the soil may also affect the accumulation of wheat phytochemicals. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effects of Different Pilot-Scale Milling Methods on Bioactive Components and End-Use Properties of Whole Wheat Flour.

The health benefits from consumption of whole wheat products are widely recognized. This study investigated the effects of different pilot-scale milling methods on physicochemical properties, bioactive components, Chinese steamed bread (CSB), and Chinese leavened pancakes (CLP) qualities of whole wheat flour (WWF). The results indicated that WWF-1 from the reconstitution of brans processed by a hammer mill had the best CSB and CLP quality overall. WWF from entire grain grinding by a jet mill (65 Hz) contained the highest concentration of bioactive components including dietary fibers (DF) and phenolic acids. A finer particle size did not necessarily result in a higher content of phenolic antioxidants in WWF. DF contents and damaged starch were negatively correlated with CSB and CLP quality. Compromised reduced quality observed in CLP made from WWF indicated its potentially higher acceptance as a whole-grain product.

Potential bioaccessibility of phenolic acids in whole wheat products during in vitro gastrointestinal digestion and probiotic fermentation.

Health benefits of whole wheat products are partially attributed by their unique phenolic compounds. This study investigated effect of simulated gastrointestinal digestion and probiotic fermentation on releasing of phenolic acids from whole wheat foods (bread, cookie, and pasta). Kinetics results showed that more phenolic acids were released within the first hour of gastric and intestinal digestions compared to the prolonged digestion. Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, a common probiotic strain, released additional phenolic acids from the digestive residues during fermentation. Simulated digestion released more soluble trans-ferulic acid than chemical extraction in breads (17.69 to 102.71 µg/g), cookie (15.81 to 54.43 µg/g), and pasta (4.88 to 28.39 µg/g). Phenolic acid composition of whole wheat products appeared to be better estimated by digestion methods than the chemical extraction method. The unique insoluble-bound nature and fermentability of wheat phenolic acids may lead to a mechanistic understanding of whole grain consumption for potential colorectal cancer prevention.

Changes in phenolic profiles and antioxidant activities during the whole wheat bread-making process.

Health benefits of whole wheat products are partially attributed to their unique phenolic profiles. This study investigated the effect of bread-making processes on the phenolic profiles and antioxidant activities of four different varieties of hard red winter wheat. The fermentation process generally increased soluble phenolic content, flavonoid content, antioxidant activities, and soluble ferulic acid of whole wheat products. The baking process increased the soluble phenolic content and antioxidant activities. Some phenolic acids were incorporated into Maillard reaction products during baking. For the insoluble fraction, fermentation and baking slightly increased phenolic content, flavonoid content, and antioxidant activities of certain wheat varieties. Ferulic acid and isomers of di-ferulic acid (DFA) were not significantly affected by the baking process. Overall, the bread-making process demonstrated positive effects on the potential health benefits of whole wheat products.

Rapid determination of total phenolic content of whole wheat flour using near-infrared spectroscopy and chemometrics.

Phenolics in whole wheat products provide many health benefits. Wheat breeders, producers, and end-users are becoming increasingly interested in wheats with higher total phenolic content (TPC). Whole wheat flour with higher phenolics may have greater marketing value in the future. However, conventional methods determining TPC are costly and labor-intensive, which are not practical for wheat breeders to analyze several thousands of lines within a limited timeframe. We presented a novel application of near-infrared spectroscopy for TPC prediction in whole wheat flour. The optimal regression model demonstrated R2 values of 0.92 and 0.90 for the calibration and validation sets, and a residual prediction deviation value of 3.4. The NIR method avoids the tedious extraction and TPC assay procedures, making it more convenient and cost-effective. Our result also demonstrated that NIR can accurately quantify phenolics even at low concentration (less than 0.2%) in the food matrix such as whole wheat flour.

Bioaccessibility and health risk assessment of trace metals in soils of greenhouse vegetable production near the industrial areas of the Yangtze River Delta, China.

As a common environmental problem in China, trace metal accumulation and contamination in soils of greenhouse vegetable production (GVP) may pose significant health risk via oral ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact to vegetable farmers and children playing in greenhouse fields. Thus, bioaccessibility and health risk of Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb in GVP soils collected from 13 GVP farms or bases near industrial areas of the Yangtze River Delta, China, were investigated as a case study. The results suggested that both GVP and industrial discharges contributed a lot to accumulation or contamination especially of Zn and Cd in soil, which subsequently increased their bioaccessible concentrations. In addition, soil acidification caused by GVP also increased bioaccessible Cr and Ni concentrations in soil of the Anthrosols study area. However, the health risk assessment of metals in GVP soil through inhalation and oral ingestion considering metal bioaccessibility suggested no non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks to both farmers and children. In contrast, there was potential carcinogenic risk within acceptable level posed by Cr in GVP soil through dermal contact to farmers and children. This indicates that both GVP and industrial activities had limited effect on health risk of trace metals in GVP soil via ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact. However, the carcinogenic risk posed by Cr, which mainly originated from natural sources, still cannot be negligible. Overall, the results will provide valuable information for decision-makers to develop reasonable strategies and guidelines for risk management of trace metals in GVP soil.

Changes in Bread Quality, Antioxidant Activity, and Phenolic Acid Composition of Wheats During Early-Stage Germination.

This study reported changes in baking properties, total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant activity, and phenolic acid composition of three hard red winter wheat varieties during the early stage of seed germination. The wheats were sprouted at 30 °C and 95% relative humidity to achieve different germination levels based on falling number ranges (550 s for control flour; 350 s [low], 250 s [medium], and 120 s [high] for sprouted flours, respectively). Average germination times were 7, 8, and 10 hr for the low, medium, and high germinated samples, respectively. Most baking properties of sprouted whole flour were comparable to the control flour. However, TPC, flavonoid content, phenolic acids, and antioxidant activity of sprouted flour were lower than the control flour. To our knowledge, this is the first study that reported both baking properties and antioxidant potential of sprouted whole wheat flour from early-stage germination. The study deepens the understanding of seed germination and the potential use of sprouted flour in baking industry. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This study evaluates the baking quality and nutraceutical value of sprouted whole wheat flour, which are key factors determining the application of sprouted flour in the baking industry. The results will contribute to the production of quality bakery products with enhanced nutraceutical benefits.