Comparison of the antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of selected wheat varieties

Antibacterial and antioxidant activities of wheat seed ethyl acetate extracts for Jokyoung (JK), Dark northern spring (DNS), Keumkang (KK), Woori (WR), and Winter wheat (WW) were investigated. Antibacterial activities were evaluated in vitro against the common food and cosmetic industry contaminants Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, and Staphylococcus aureus using well diffusion assays. WW had the highest inhibitory activity against all tested strains, with S. aureus being the most sensitive strain. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of WW and WR against S. aureus were 0.50 and 1.25 mg/mL, respectively. The 2,6-dimethoxy-1,4- benzoquinone (DMBQ) content was measured using HPLC. The antibacterial activities of wheat seed extracts were correlated with the total phenolic contents (Pearson’s correlation coefficient=0.994), with the ABTS radical scavenging activity (0.978), and with the DMBQ content (0.968). WW and WR have potential for use as natural antimicrobials for prevention of food and cosmetics spoilage.