ASSESSMENT OF ANTIOXIDANT POTENTIAL IN DIVERSE WHEAT CULTIVARS UNDER NATURAL GROWTH CONDITIONS IN PAKISTAN

Abstract

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a globally important cereal crop and a natural source of phytochemicals with significant antioxidant properties. Despite the well-established therapeutic potential of wheat leaf extracts, comparative biochemical profiling of locally adapted Pakistani cultivars remains limited. Five Pakistani wheat cultivars, PERWAZ, MEXI-PAK, PAVON, LU-26, and IQBAL-2000, were grown under natural outdoor conditions for 60 days without fertilizer application. Growth parameters (plant height, shoot length, root length, fresh weight, dry weight) were recorded at harvest. Total phenolic content (TPC) was determined using the Folin-Ciocalteu micro-colorimetric method and total chlorophyll content (TCC) by spectrophotometry. One-way ANOVA, Tukey's HSD post-hoc test (α = 0.05), and Pearson correlation analysis were performed using Statistics 8.1. Highly significant differences were observed in TPC [F(4,10) = 707,645.5, p < 0.001] and TCC [F(4,10) = 25,543.4, p < 0.001] across cultivars. LU-26 recorded the highest TPC (723.200 ± 0.300 mg/g F.W) and TCC (0.1895 ± 0.0005 mg/g), while IQBAL-2000 exhibited the lowest TPC (350.867 ± 0.666 mg/g F.W) and PERWAZ the lowest TCC (0.1057 ± 0.0003 mg/g). Shoot length and dry weight also differed significantly among cultivars (p < 0.001). A strong negative correlation was detected between dry weight and TCC (r = -0.844, p < 0.001), indicating a trade-off between structural biomass and chlorophyll accumulation. LU-26 demonstrated the highest antioxidant potential among the five cultivars tested, supporting its suitability for wheatgrass-based functional food applications and as a priority candidate in breeding programs targeting enhanced phytochemical profiles.