Whole wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a rich source of bioactive compounds with health benefits such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-proliferative activities. In this study, we evaluated the antioxidant and cytoprotective capacities of 41 wheat cultivars. The antioxidant capacities of whole wheat grain extracts (WWE) from various wheat cultivars were evaluated using total phenolic content and ABTS and DPPH radical-scavenging activities. The relative antioxidant capacity index (RACI) was calculated to integrate different chemical methods of antioxidant capacity. The cytoprotective capacity of the WWE was investigated using hepatocytes (HepG2), myoblasts (C2C12), and endothelial (EA.hy926) cells. The RACI was the highest and lowest for Dajoong (1.71) and Topdong (-1.96), respectively. Pearson correlation tests were conducted to determine the correlation between the antioxidant and cytoprotective activities. However, no significant correlations between RACI and the cytoprotective capacities were ascertained. Principal component analysis revealed that the first two components represented 68.93% of the total variability. Hierarchical cluster analysis classified WWE into three groups based on measured parameters. The results of this study highlight the variation in the antioxidant and cytoprotective capacities of 41 different wheat cultivars. This study provides basic information that can guide decisions in wheat breeding programs for the development of functional food crops and new dietary ingredients.
Keywords: antioxidant; cytoprotection; hierarchical cluster; principal component analysis; wheat.