GENETIC AND AGRONOMIC VARIATION IN ARABINOXYLAN AND FERULIC ACID CONTENTS OF DURUM-WHEAT (TRITICUM-DURUM L.) GRAIN AND ITS MILLING FRACTIONS

Total arabinoxylan (AXt), water-extractable arabinoxylan (WeAX) and fe rulic acid (FA) from five cultivars of durum wheat (Triticum durum L.) , grown under four different agronomic conditions, were measured. Amon g the varieties analysed, AXt, WeAX and FA contents ranged between 4.0 7%-6.02%, 0.37%-0.56% and 0.784 mg/g-7.98 mg/g, respectively. High gen etic and agronomic variability was detected for AXt, WeAX and FA. AXt and FA increased sharply in milling products for extraction rates abov e 60%. FA was quantified in durum wheat milling fractions. High concen trations of FX esterified to cell-wall arabinoxylans were found in the aleurone layer (69% of total FA), germ and seedcoat (26.6% of total F A). Only trace amounts were detected in the starchy endosperm (1.4% of total FA). A highly significant correlation appeared between AXt and FA contents. (C) 1997 Academic Press Limited.