PYROLYSIS-GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY MASS-SPECTROMETRY OF SPELT (TRITICUM-SPELTA L.) PERICARP

Pyrolysis/gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (PY/GC/MS) was used to characterize the pericarp fiber of grain samples of 6 spelt (Triticum spelta L.) along with 3 different bread wheats plus 7 spelt-wheat cros ses. Absolute amounts of lignin and polysaccaride pyrolysis products w ere quantified as mu g mg(-1) of sample using an internal standard met hod. The pyrolysis fragments ascribed to the polysaccharide fraction w ere significantly more abundant in spelt whereas wheats contained the highest percentage of lignin-derived pyrolysis fragments. Discriminant analysis differentiated spelt, spelt-wheat crosses and wheat. Thus, a mong possible options for fiber analysis, PY/GC/MS proved to be a repr oducible and reliable analytical tool, which can be easily applied to the screening and characterization of cereal fiber. (C) 1998 John Wile y & Sons, Ltd.