Betaine, choline and folate content in different cereal genotypes

The importance of dietary methyl donors, e.g. betaine, choline and folate, is increasingly being recognised. This study examined variations in methyl donor concentrations in different cereals grown in Sweden. Fourteen cereal samples, representing different genera and cultivars, were analysed using HPLC-UV/FLD. The content of methyl donors in the cereals varied significantly due to cereal genotype. Betaine content varied most, with 28 mg/100 g DM in oats and 176 mg/100 g DM in rye. Total choline varied less, with 67 mg/100 g DM in rye and 149 mg/100 g DM in naked barley. In wheat, the lowest concentration of folate with 36 μg/100 g DM was found, and the highest of 91 μg/100 g DM in barley. Esterified choline was the major contributor to total choline content (80-95%) in the cereals. Free choline was less abundant, ranging from 3 to 27 mg/100 g DM. 5-CHO-H4folate was the dominant folate form in all cereals, amounting to approx. 35-50% of the sum of folates, as determined after pre-column conversion. Due to the limited number of available cultivars, no interpretation regarding effects from cultivar can be made. In conclusion, the studied cereal genotypes are good sources of methyl donors, but concentrations show considerable variation between different cereals.