Variation of wheat grain lipid fraction and its antioxidative status under the impact of delayed sowing

This study determined the profile of hydrophobic phytochemicals (steroid-like components and lipophilic phenolics) and antioxidant potential (DPPH and Rancimat tests) of wheat grain in relation to sowing date (standard vs. delayed) using six cultivars of Triticum aestivum wheat grown in Poland. The study found that “sowing time” generally had a low impact on sterols, carotenoids, squalene and total lipophilic phenolics in wheat grain. The highest impact of “sowing time” was noted for α-tocopherol, C19:0 alkylresorcinol and campesterol. Delayed sowing reduced their content by up to 9%. The antioxidant potential of grain extracts obtained by the use of water-saturated butanol (WSB) was mostly cultivar-dependent (depending on assay: DPPH 56.3% and Rancimat 75.1% of explained variation, respectively). Wheat grain WSB extracts increased rapeseed oil induction time by up to 21% and their antioxidant capacity was up to 1.24 μM TEg−1.