Correlation between polyphenolic profile and antioxidant activity of old and modern common wheat varieties

Phenolic compounds present in whole grains have gained attention as they have strong antioxidant properties, potentially protective against many degenerative diseases. Aim of this study was to characterize the phytochemical profile of modern and old common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) varieties in terms of antioxidant activity and phenolic composition and to evaluate their antiproliferative or cytoprotective effects in different cell culture systems: a leukemic cell line, HL60, and primary cultures of neonatal rat cardiomyocytes. The evaluation of the effect on cell viability and ROS intracellular level in in vitro models allowed to highlight differences in cyotoprotective/antiproliferative properties between cultivars and to correlate them to peculiar phytochemical/nutraceutical profile of the extracts. Data reported in this paper support the healthy role of cereals in human nutrition due to the presence of nutraceutical components and their possible synergistic effect and, above all, underline the importance of a re-discovery of ancient varieties in the development of functional food. Thus, an increased intake of wheat grain derived products could represent an effective strategy to achieve both chemoprevention and protection against oxidative stress related diseases, thanks to their antioxidant phytochemicals content.