This study aimed to compare effects of cultivation areas (upland and reclaimed land) and harvest time on contents of bioactive components and antioxidant activities of wheat sprouts. Contents of Ca and K were higher in upland, while content of Mg was higher in reclaimed land. Mineral content decreased after winter, regardless of the harvest time. Total dietary fiber increased by 24.3% in reclaimed land and improved by 45.2% after winter, with Ariginheuk showing the highest fiber content (34.41 ± 0.53 g/100 g). Total polyphenols increased by 48.6% in reclaimed, but decreased by 26.7% after winter. Similarly, flavonoids increased by 87.8% in reclaimed land but declined after winter. Content of octacosanol, a key bioactive compound, was 33.2% higher (7.75 ± 0.09 mg/g) in Ariginheuk grown in reclaimed land and decreased after winter. Antioxidant activities measured by ABTS and DPPH assays increased by 51.4% and 82.4%, respectively, in reclaimed land, with pre-winter harvests showing higher scavenging abilities. Overall, reclaimed land generally showed higher contents of bioactive components, with contents of pre-winter harvests being more beneficial. These findings highlight significant differences in wheat sprouts' physiological activities based on cultivation area and harvest time, suggesting that reclaimed land and pre-winter harvesting might offer advantages.

During the cultivation of wheat sprouts, antioxidant activity was measured during each cultivation period. Wheat sprouts from the cultivation period showing the highest antioxidant activity were added at different concentrations to make wheat sprout sulgidduk. Their physicochemical properties then were measured. As a result, when wheat sprouts were cultivated to about 14 cm, contents of ascorbic acid and polyphenol compounds were the highest. Their ABTS radical scavenging activities also showed high values. Thus, wheat sprouts grown about 14 cm were added at a concentration of 0 to 7% to prepare wheat sprout sulgidduk. The lightness (L) of the control was the highest. Redness (a) and yellowness (b) of wheat sprout sulgidduk increased as the amount of wheat sprout added increased. Contents of ascorbic acid and polyphenol compounds and ABTS radical scavenging activities of wheat sprout sulgidduk added with the highest wheat sprout content were significantly higher than those of others. Regarding the texture, the addition of wheat sprout resulted in slightly higher hardness, gumminess, and chewiness than the control. However, springiness and cohesiveness were not significantly different between treatment groups.

Sprouts have various health benefits. Specifically, wheat sprouts are rich in bioactive compounds, such as vitamins and polyphenols. Elicitation induces and enhances secondary metabolite biosynthesis in plants. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the effects of sodium chloride (NaCl) treatments on the growth profile, free amino acid content, and antioxidant activity of germinated wheat (Triticum aestivum). Wheat seeds were germinated at 20℃ for 10 days and treated with 0, 2, 4, 7.5, and 10 mM of NaCl 10 days before harvesting. Treating the soil bed with NaCl increased the nutritional component amounts, such as free amino acids and γ- aminobutyric acid. The chlorophyll a and b concentrations were the highest in the hydroponic system treated with 7.5 mM NaCl. In addition, the polyphenol and flavonoid contents of sprouts treated with 2 and 7.5 mM NaCl were 1.94 and 1.34 times higher than that of the control sprouts (0 mM NaCl, water only), respectively. These results suggest that 2 to 4 mM NaCl treatments improve the nutritional and food quality of wheat sprouts more than water only.

In this study, the antioxidant activity of methanol extracts of wheat sprouts grown in wild fields and cultivated fields and harvested at various times were analyzed to compare the quality characteristics of the wheat sprouts as a function of their cultivation and harvest time, as well as for the development of functional materials. The total polyphenolic and flavonoid content, as well as antioxidant activity of the wheat extracts, were subsequently analyzed. The ABTS radical scavenging activity of the wheat extract increased from 16.97 mg TEAC/g sample on cultivation day three in cultivated field wheat sprouts to 25.99 mg TEAC/g sample after seven days of wild field cultivation. The total polyphenol content increased from 17.08 mg GA eq/100 g in cultivated field wheat sprouts grown for three days to 28.70 mg GA eq/100 g after seven days of wild field cultivation. In addition, the flavonoid content increased from 7.02 mg catechin eq/100 g (7 days) to 8.47 mg/g after 12 days of wild field cultivation. Notably, the activity subsequently decreased. These results suggest that the wheat sprouts with higher biological activity were those produced from the wild field after 20 days.

The purpose of this study was to examine biological activities, including total contents of polyphenol, antioxidant activities, inhibitory activities of tyrosinase, and protective effect against oxidative stress in the HepG2 cells of ethanol extracts from wheat sprout. The antioxidant activity of extracts was determined by ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging activities. Ethanol extracts were tested using different ethanol concentrations (0%, 30%, 50%, 80% and 95%, respectively). The highest amount of total polyphenol was extracted by 50% and 80% ethanol which was 26.3 and 26.8 mg gallic acid equivalents/g sample, respectively. High levels of ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging activity were found in 50% ethanol (26.7 and 15.0 mg TEAC/g sample, respectively) and 80% (24.3 and 16.1 mg TEAC/g sample, respectively) ethanol extracts. Also, 50% and 80% ethanol extracts indicated higher inhibitory activities of tyrosinase compared with other extracts. In the cell-based assay, pre-treatment of the HepG2 cells with wheat sprout extracts prevented the cell damage induced by TBHP (tert-butyl hydroperoxide). The results of this study indicate that wheat sprout has significantly higher diverse biological activities and apparently has significant health benefits.

Wheat is an economically important cereal worldwide and is a staple food in many countries. Extensive researches have been performed on the nutritional value and antioxidant potentials of sprouts of legumes like soybean, however very limited studies have been carried out on the sprouts of Korean wheat cultivar. The objective of this study was to investigate the phytochemical and antioxidant potentials of Korean wheat sprouts. The sprouts were grown for 10 (WS-10), 20 (WS-20), and 30 (WS-30) days at room temperature. The pH, color, chlorophyll, free amino acid, 1,1-diphenly- 2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and total polyphenol content of the sprout samples were determined. The pH of sprouts was increased in the older sprouts. Color values were significantly influenced by the age of sprouts. The chlorophyll content was lowest but the total free amino acid content was highest in WS-30. On the other hand, the DPPH free radical scavenging potential and total polyphenol content were lower in WS-30. The results suggested that Korean wheat sprouts could be a potential source of nutrients and natural antioxidants.