Determination of Free Soluble Phenolic Compounds in Grains of Ancient Wheat Varieties (Triticum sp. pl.) by Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry

A method of liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry was developed and validated for the determination of free soluble phenolic compounds in eight ancient varieties of wheat (Triticum sp. pl.): Autonomia, Gentil rosso, Inallettabile, Leone aristato, Mentana, Poulard di Ciano, Risciola, and Terminillo. Trace compounds such as two conjugated flavones, vitexin (17.13−34.32 μg/kg) and isovitexin (9.76−30.01 μg/kg), were also determined. Poulard di Ciano, presumably an autochthonous wheat of the Reggio Emilia province (northern Italy), showed a peculiar quali/quantitative phenolic profile (7097.03 μg/kg sum of total phenolic compounds and 1.97 sum of hydroxycinnamic acids to sum of hydroxybenzoic acids ratio) along with a tetraploid genome. Terminillo, Risciola, Gentil rosso, Mentana, and Leone aristato showed hexaploid genomes and high concentrations of phenolic compounds (ranging from 6796.12 to 7605.78 μg/kg), also in comparison with two modern varieties of bread wheat, Bolero and Blasco. The targeted metabolomic approach proved to be effective to determine some secondary metabolites of wheat. The richness in phenolic compounds combined with high rusticity and adaptability to marginal soils showed by ancient wheat varieties make them suitable for sustainable agricultural and organic cultivation.