Spelt (Triticum spelta L.) and Winter Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Wholemeals Have Similar Sterol Profiles, As Determined by Quantitative Liquid Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry Analysis

Abstract

From a nutritional point of view, cereal lipids include valuable molecules, such as essential fatty acids, phytosterols, and fat-soluble vitamins. Spelt (Triticum spelta L.) is an alternative hulled bread cereal mostly grown in Belgium, where it is mainly intended for animal feed but should increasingly be used for human consumption. The present research focused on phytosterol quantification by LC/APCI-MS2 in saponified wholemeal extracts of 16 dehulled spelt and 5 winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) varieties grown in Belgium during 2001-2002 at the same location. Glycosylated sterols and free and formerly esterified sterols could be determined in saponified extracts. Results show that the mean phytosterol content is comparable in both cereals (whereas other lipids, such as oleic and linoleic acids, are increased in spelt wholemeal): spelt extract has, on average, 527.7 microg of free and esterified sterols g(-1) of wholemeal and 123.8 microg of glycosylated sterols g(-1) of wholemeal versus 528.5 and 112.6 microg x g(-1) in winter wheat (values not corrected for recoveries). This is the first report on the application and validation of an LC/MS2 method for the quantification of phytosterols in spelt and winter wheat.

Characterization of Total, Free and Esterified Phytosterols in Tetraploid and Hexaploid Wheats

“…For the major sterols, the results are in general agreement with those previously reported by Dutta and Appelqvist (29), Piironen et al (13), Normen et al (6), Toivo et al (26), Ruibal-Mendieta et al (15) and Nyström et al (30) for T. aestiVum. The higher content of TS in tetraploid species was also reported in a recent work by Nurmi and co-workers (31).…”

“…In fact, as reported in several studies (13,15,35), the unsaponifiable fraction is characterized by the presence of significant quantities of sterols. In tetraploid wheats, up to 30% of total sterols consisted of saturated phytosterols, such as sitostanol and campestanol, whereas in hexaploid species the saturated sterols represented about 18% of total sterols.…”

Analysis of phytosterols in foods

“…A median total phytosterol concentration of 49 mg/100 g (range 4.1-344) edible portion has been reported for some cereal foods commonly consumed in Sweden and in the Netherlands, ␤-sitosterol generally being the dominant form (62%), followed by campesterol (21%) and, in smaller concentrations, stigmasterol (4%), ␤-sitostanol (4%) and campestanol (2%) [33]. Free and esterified sterol contents of 52.7 and 52.8 mg/100 g, respectively, have been reported in spelt (Triticum spelta) and winter wheat (Triticum aestivum), which also contain 123.8 and 112.6 mg/100 g, respectively, of glycosylated sterols [34].…”

“…The response factors expressed by the ratio of free sterols over ergosterol peak areas at 100 g/ml in the determination of several sterols in cereal by LC/MS 2 have been calculated [34]. It was found that response factors were related to sterol structure.…”

Health-promoting substances contained in cereals (review)

“…A median total phytosterol concentration of 49 mg/100 g (range 4.1-344) edible portion has been reported for some cereal foods commonly consumed in Swe den and in the Netherlands, β-sitosterol generally being the dominant form (62 %), followed by campesterol (21 %) and, in smaller concentrations, stigmasterol (4 %), β-sitostanol (4 %) and campestanol (2 %) (Normén, 2002). Free and esterifi ed sterol contents of 52.7 and 52.8 mg/100 g, respectively, have been reported in spelt (Triticum spelta) and winter wheat (Triticum aestivum), which also contain 123.8 and 112.6 mg/100 g, respectively, of glycosylated sterols (Ruibal-Mendieta, 2004). Plant sterols (phyto sterols) are bioactive components of all vegetable foods.…”