Lipid composition and deposition during grain filling in intact barley ( Hordeum vulgare) mutant grains as studied by 1H HR MAS NMR

• Published in: Journal of cereal science 2011-11, Vol.54 (3), p.442-449
• Main Authors: Seefeldt, Helene Fast, Larsen, Flemming Hofmann, Viereck, Nanna, Petersen, Mikael Agerlin, Engelsen, Søren Balling
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 1H HR MAS NMR; Biological and medical sciences; Cereal and baking product industries; Food industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Grain filling; Hordeum vulgare; Lipids
• ISSN: 0733-5210; 1095-9963
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jcs.2011.08.009

Conventional barley has an excellent nutritional value, but a lower content of lipids than oat. Nevertheless, barley lipids deserve a focused interest due to their fatty acid composition and their vitamin E composition. In this study, 1H HR MAS NMR was used to monitor the deposition of lipids during grain filling of conventional barley, and of two barley endosperm mutants with increased lipid content. The lipids in the mutants are primarily synthesized between days 9 and 13, whereas the lipid biosynthesis in the conventional barley took place ten days later. GC analysis on barley flour lipids showed that the mutants and the control exhibit comparable relative levels of the major fatty acids: C16:0, C18:1 and C18:2 despite the higher content of lipids in the mutants. Differences in the minor fatty acid composition between control and mutants were also observed. The degree of unsaturation was found to be increasing during grain filling for both conventional barley and the two mutants. ► Lipid-rich barley grain mutants have earlier lipid deposition than control. ► Differences in the fatty acid composition between lipid-rich mutants and control. ► The degree of lipid unsaturation increased during grain filling. ► 1H HR MAS NMR characterized lipid deposition during grain filling in barley.