The study is devoted to a comparative analysis of adaptation and productivity of spring bread (Triticum aestivum L.) and durum (Triticum durum Desf.) wheat under agroecological conditions of Western and Northern Kazakhstan and Russia (Western Siberia) to enhance production and breeding. The methodology is based on the analysis of the results of long-term (2005–2024) field experiments of the Kazakhstan–Siberian Network for Spring Wheat Improvement (KASIB) at four scientific institutions: Karabalyk Agricultural Experimental Station (AES), Aktobe AES (Kazakhstan), Altai Scientific Center of Agrobiotechnologies, and Omsk Agricultural Scientific Center (Russia). The weather changes observed at the four breeding sites over 20 years were slightly different, owing to underlying regional variation. Seasonal precipitation tends to increase at Aktobe, the driest site, while temperature gradually increases at Barnaul and Omsk. Most of the temporal changes do not meet the significance test except air temperature increase at Barnaul. The results showed that under Kazakhstan conditions, spring bread wheat demonstrated insignificantly higher yield than durum (by 7%–21%), even though durum wheat forms taller plants and has a larger 1,000 grain weight. In Western Siberia (Altai Territory), durum wheat insignificantly outperformed bread wheat in yield by 8.6%. A strong positive correlation was established between yield and plant height, and 1,000 grain weight in both wheat species. Both crops showed similar sensitivity to elevated air temperatures in June and in May–July. The positive association between grain yield and rainfall was more pronounced for spring durum, suggesting its better response to moisture availability. Durum wheat expressed higher resistance to leaf rust. The two species’ distinct climate-response strategies operate through precipitation-driven disease pressure and differential responsiveness of yield and kernel weight to overall environmental favorability. The practical significance of the work consists in the possibility of a more informed choice of wheat species for specific agroecological conditions and the development of breeding strategies specific to each crop and across the species.

The extension of genetic diversity is the basis for yield and adaptability improvements of winter wheat varieties under climate fluctuations. In the present study, an international collection consisting of 96 winter bread wheat accessions from Russia, Germany, Finland, Kazakhstan, Bulgaria, Turkey, the USA, and the international programme (Turkey–CIMMYT–ICARDA) was analysed under the conditions of Western Siberia during three growing seasons. Yield and yield-related traits were recorded following standard agronomy practices. Genotyping of the germplasm panel was conducted using 55 KASP markers at the Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology (Kazakhstan). The yield had a high correlation with the number of fertile tillers per unit area (0.68), which indicates significant yield reduction in wheat accessions from different origins that are not adaptive to the conditions of Western Siberia. The main stable QTLs associated with yield-related traits during two growing seasons, ippb_ta_1147 (1A), ippb_ta_107 (4A), ippb_ta_239 (5D), and ippb_ta_283 (6A), can be used in MAS for the improvement of yield and related traits. The outperforming genotypes Zhiva, Zolushka, Doneko, Line K 18918, Line 2293; CO13D1299, KS13DH0030-32, Gondvana//HBK0935-29-15/KS90W077-2-2/VBF0589-1… are recommended to be included in hybridisation programmes and represent promising sources for breeding high-yielding and climate-resilient winter wheat.

The Ural Mountains in the Western Siberia region cultivate over 3.5 M ha of short season spring wheat, with an average grain yield of 1.6–2.0 t/ha. The study focus was the analysis of climate change and weather effects on spring wheat yields from 2001 to 2024 and on genotype–environment interactions in the Kazakhstan–Siberia Spring Wheat Improvement network (KASIB) trials from 2019 to 2024. Climate change has the tendency to gradually reduce precipitation and increase air temperatures, which negatively affect spring wheat yields. Based on regional yield and weather, the region was divided into subregions: Tyumen in the North with a high yield; Chelyabinsk with lower precipitation and a lower grain yield; and Omsk and Kurgan were similar in most years. Environments at the four breeding programs (Chelyabinsk Agricultural Research Institute, Kurgan Seeds, and Omsk and Tyumen State Agrarian Universities) did not fully reflect the target production areas due to a very high yield gap and lack of association between the research and production yields. Genotype–environment interaction analysis showed that the Tyumen site had the highest yield and best discriminating ability, while Chelyabinsk best represented the whole target region. Most of the highest yielding material in KASIB trials originated from outside of the region. Spring wheat breeding programs in the region ought to improve to maintain a competitive edge.

The aim of the study was to evaluate oil flax varieties by yield, economically valuable traits and to identify the most suitable for cultivation in the conditions of the southern forest-steppe of Western Siberia. Six varieties of oil flax bred in Russia were studied. It was found that, on average, over the years of research, the vegetation period of the August and Azurit varieties varied within 92–93 days, the longest (104 days) was noted for the Amber variety. The largest number of capsules per plant - 15.94 pcs. and the number of seeds in them - 5.09 pcs. on average were in the Amber variety. The Severny variety stood out in terms of the weight of 1000 seeds (an average of 7.45 g). The Azurit variety showed the highest seed yield - 1.66 t/ha, a reliable increase to the control was 0.17 t/ha. The August and Azurit varieties had a consistently high fat content in the seeds, 48.4 and 48.5% on average, which is 2.4–2.5% higher than the control variant. The average fat yield for 2 years for the August and Azurit varieties was 755.7 and 801.0 kg/ha, respectively, which is 69.8 and 115.1 kg/ha higher than the control. According to the complex of characteristics, the August and Azurit varieties are of greatest interest for cultivation in Western Siberia.

The review summarizes the historical and current research on perennial grain breeding in Russia within the context of growing global interest in perennial crops. N.V. Tsitsin’s pioneering work in the 1930s produced the first wheat–wheatgrass amphiploids, which demonstrated the capacity to regrow after harvest and survive for 2–3 years. Subsequent research at the Main Botanical Garden in Moscow focused on characterizing Tsitsin’s material, selecting superior germplasm, and expanding genetic diversity through new cycles of hybridization and selection. This work led to the development of a new crop species, Trititrigia, and the release of cultivar ‘Pamyati Lyubimovoy’ in 2020, designed for dual-purpose production of high-quality grain and green biomass. Intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium) is native to Russia, where several forage cultivars have been released and cultivated. Two large-grain cultivars (Sova and Filin) were developed from populations provided by the Land Institute and are now grown by farmers. Perennial rye was developed through interspecific crosses between Secale cereale and S. montanum, demonstrating persistence for 2–3 years with high biomass production and grain yields of 1.5–2.0 t/ha. Hybridization between Sorghum bicolor and S. halepense resulted in two released cultivars of perennial sorghum used primarily for forage production under arid conditions. Russia’s agroclimatic diversity in agricultural production systems provides significant opportunities for perennial crop development. The broader scientific and practical implications of perennial crops in Russia extend to climate-resilient, sustainable agriculture and international cooperation in this emerging field.

Nowadays winter wheat varieties are sown on a small area in Western Siberia. However due to climate warming, the prospects of this crop are constantly increasing. Therefore, breeding for increasing its winter hardiness and yield is an urgent task for this region. In 2022-2023, a collection of 96 accessions of winter wheat from breeding institutions of Russia, Bulgaria, Turkey, the USA, and the international TCI program (T?rkiye, СIMMYT, ICARDA) was studied according to generally accepted selection methods. Among the studied winter wheat varieties, 24 alleles of SNP loci were identified; the allele frequency ranged from 0.021 (ipbb_ta_197) to 0.990 (ipbb_ta_113; ipbb_ta_196). A low frequency of alleles occurrence (0.021–0.167) associated with spike length, grain weight per spike, and thousand kernel weight (ipbb_ta_197, ipbb_ta_219, ipbb_ta_257, ipbb_ta_263) was noted. Accessions Doneko, Donskaya Lyra (“Federal Rostov ASC”); Donskoy Surpriz, Don 107 (ASC “Donskoy”); Alekseich (“National Center of Grain named after P.P. Lukyanenko”); Gelibolu (Turkey); CO13D1299, KS13DH0030-32, KS13DH0020-59, KS13DH002722 (the USA), WBLL1*2/Kuruku/5/ Chuanmai 18...(TCI) were characterized by high yield (325–430 g/m2) due to the maximum combination of SNP loci, associated with yield and its components. These accessions are of breeding value as genetic sources of the studied quantitative traits for winter wheat hybridization programs.

The purpose of the study is to conduct a breeding assessment of variety samples and identify sources of valuable traits for winter wheat breeding. A collection of 52 varieties of winter soft wheat of different ecological and geographical origins was studied. Field and laboratory studies were carried out in 2020–2022 on the experimental field of the Omsk State Agrarian University in the conditions of the southern forest-steppe of Western Siberia. Sowing was carried out in fallows at generally accepted sowing times. The research results showed that American and Turkish varieties had the highest yield (284 and 297 g/m2), winter hardiness (6–6.5 points) and resistance to snow mold (5–5.5 points). Mexican lines had greater variability in the studied traits in comparison with other groups of variety samples and are recommended for breeding to expand the genotypic diversity of domestic varieties for drought resistance and grain quality. Bulgarian samples are unique in grain quality (on average they contain: protein – 17.1 %; gluten – 37.2; ash content – 1.81; gluten index – 95.8 % and sedimentation – 68 ml). Varieties and lines have been identified as adaptive and promising genotypes for winter wheat breeding in Western Siberia: Mv-Ispan, Mv-Bojtar, Mv-Dandar, SYWolf, KS13DH00 37-66, KS13DH00 30-32, CO13D 1299, WBLL1*2 / Tukuru // Billings. These varieties formed the highest yield (341–453 g/m2) in dry growing conditions, had higher rates and a smooth increase in biomass (NDVI = 0.37–0.68), high drought resistance (6.0–7.0 points ) and lower leaf surface temperature (≥ 35.3 °C).

Landraces of wheat represent valuable genetic resources for enhancing the grain quality of modern wheat varieties. In this study, a panel comprising 94 landraces sourced from the VIR collection (Russia) and 142 wheat varieties from breeding programs of Russia and Kazakhstan was subjected to genome-wide association study (GWAS) to pinpoint genomic regions and identify candidate genes associated with grain quality traits in wheat breeding. Genotyping of the germplasm panel was conducted using the Affymetrix 25K platform, while phenotypic data for agronomic traits were collected over two growing seasons (2022 and 2023) in Western Siberia. Investigation of the genotypic structure revealed seven distinct clusters within the landraces and breeding varieties population, indicating a clear genetic differentiation among the landraces. Notably, the & Vcy; genome of the landrace germplasm exhibited the highest proportion of SNP markers (41%). Based on experiment data among 294 MTAs seven unique loci were identified with a -log10(p) value >6 in the landrace collection that had significant associations with grain protein content, grain gluten, strong gluten content, gluten index, and vitreousness (AX-158572632, wsnp_Ex_c10084_16572374, BobWhite_c31129_60, AX-158586137, AX-94949506, BobWhite_c46257_130, wsnp_JG_c5646_2148382). These markers were distributed on chromosomes A, 2B, 5B, 6B, and 6D with ranged of phenotypic variation 9-26%.

The Kazakhstan-Siberia Network for Spring Wheat Improvement (KASIB) was established in 2000, forming a collaboration between breeding and research programs through biannual yield trials. A core set of 142 genotypes from 15 breeding programs was selected, genotyped for 81 DNA functional markers and phenotyped for 10 agronomic traits at three sites in Kazakhstan (Karabalyk, Shortandy and Shagalaly) and one site in Russia (Omsk) in 2020–2022. The study aim was to identify markers demonstrating significant effects on agronomic traits. The average grain yield of individual trials varied from 118 to 569 g/m2. Grain yield was positively associated with the number of days to heading, plant height, number of grains per spike and 1000-kernel weight. Eight DNA markers demonstrated significant effects. The spring-type allele of the Vrn-A1 gene accelerated heading by two days (5.6%) and was present in 80% of the germplasm. The winter allele of the Vrn-A1 gene significantly increased grain yield by 2.7%. The late allele of the earliness marker per se, TaMOT1-D1, delayed development by 1.9% and increased yield by 4.5%. Translocation of 1B.1R was present in 21.8% of the material, which resulted in a 6.2% yield advantage compared to 1B.1B germplasm and a reduction in stem rust severity from 27.6 to 6.6%. The favorable allele of TaGS-D1 increased both kernel weight and yield by 2–3%. Four markers identified in ICARDA germplasm, ISBW2-GY (Kukri_c3243_1065, 3B), ISBW3-BM (TA004946-0577, 1B), ISBW10-SM2 (BS00076246_51, 5A), ISBW11-GY (wsnp_Ex_c12812_20324622, 4A), showed an improved yield in this study of 3–4%. The study recommends simultaneous validation and use of selected markers in KASIB’s network.

The antioxidant activities (ABTS and CUPRAC) of 40 different colored wheat genotypes were investigated, and some of the diverse wheat genotypes were selected to investigate their anthocyanin profiles and mineral compositions. The ABTS values of free and bound fractions were in the range of 15.61-157.36 mg TE/100 g and 33.26-189.48 mg TE/100 g, respectively. For the free and bound fractions of the colored wheat samples, the CUPRAC values were determined between 25.73 and 229.20 mg TE/100 g, and between 82.00 and 348.93 mg TE/100 g, respectively. The anthocyanin profiles of the colored wheats varied depending on the genotypes. Cyanidin-3-O-glucoside chloride was abundant in the samples w3, w8, w17, w18 and w20 while malvidin-3-O-glucoside chloride was the major anthocyanin for the samples w13, w23, w14, w30 and w34. Cyanidin-3-O-glucoside chloride was significantly higher in w18 than others (p<0.05). Cyanidin-3,5-di-O-glucoside was only found in the free extracts of the two samples (w17 and w20). The best accessions with high antioxidant activity and anthocyanin profile were identified for their potential utilization in wheat breeding programs. According to the results, the w17 sample (line BW 49880–Dark colored P, F4) was chosen as the best sample due to its highest antioxidant activity (p<0.05) and the best anthocyanin profile. The macronutrients Ca, K, and Mg highly varied among the genotypes studied. The trace elements, Zn and Fe were significantly higher in purple-grained lines than that of the red-grained variety. The study’s outcomes are likely to support breeding programs to generate new wheat cultivars with greater nutritional benefits.

Currently, the agricultural market offers a wide range of winter wheat varieties of domestic breeding. However, due to climate warming and the increasing frequency of arid years, it is urgent to develop varieties with wide adaptability, large productivity potential and grain quality. The purpose of the current study was to identify new genetic sources of winter common wheat with a complex of favorable gene alleles that control grain quality traits. In 2022–2023 there was studied the collection of 26 winter common wheat varieties from breeding institutions of the Rostov region and Krasnodar region using generally accepted breeding techniques. There was carried out an analysis of technological quality traits and identification of loci associated with these traits using KASP-markers developed at the Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology (Kazakhstan). The varieties developed by the Federal Rostov ARC generated the largest productivity (341 g/m2) with less accumulation of protein and gluten (14.2 and 29.5 %), and, on the contrary, the varieties of the ARC “Donskoy” and the National Grain Center named after P. P. Lukyanenko were characterized by higher percentage of protein and gluten (15.5–15.7 and 33.2–34.4 %), but lower productivity (244–276 g/m2). The varieties ‘Donskoy Mayak’, ‘Konkurent’, ‘Nakhodka’, ‘Rostovchanka 7’, ‘Duplet’ and the line ‘K 18918’ were distinguished by the best technological traits of grain (protein >15 %, gluten > 30 %, gluten index > 85 % and sedimentation ≥ 53 %) and many favorable alleles of SNP loci associated with these features. The varieties ‘Donna’, ‘Zolushka’, ‘Donskaya Lira’ exceeded the standard ‘Omskaya 4’ (368–378 g/m2) in productivity, but their allelic variants of the identified markers were lower. There have been identified the varieties ‘Donna’, ‘Zolushka’, ‘Donskaya Lira’ (Federal Rostov ARC), ‘Donskoy Mayak’, ‘Konkurent’, ‘Nakhodka’, ‘Rostovchanka 7’ (ARC “Donskoy”), ‘Duplet’, ‘line K 18918’ (“National Grain Center named after P. P. Lukyanenko”) with the maximum number of favorable alleles (10–11), associated with technological quality traits, recommended for improving winter wheat varieties in terms of grain quality.

Numerous samples with introgressions were obtained in bread wheat in result of distant hybridization. However, only a small number of them were used for improvement of modern cultivars for such an important traits as protein and gluten content in grain. The aim of this study is to investigate the phenotypic impact of introgressions transferred to 5B chromosome of bread wheat from the species T. durum and Ae. speltoides on these grain quality traits. To this end, two lines that carried introgressions of different size in 5B chromosome were developed on the genetic background of cv. Saratovskaya 29 (S29). One line had the introgression from Aegilops speltoides in the distal region of the long arm of the chromosome, while another line - the introgression from Triticum durum in the centromeric region. Transfer of introgressions from donors to the recipient was confirmed using microsatellite markers. The lines were studied in remote geographical areas and in greenhouse. They showed a significant increase in protein and gluten content across all environments by 1% and 4%, respectively, with the greatest effect under normal moisture conditions. The lines retained high rheological and mixing dough properties characteristic of S29. The conducted studies made it possible to verify loci QGlc.ipk-5B and QDsa.ipk-5B previously identified in ITMI mapping population, associated with gluten content and dough resistance to mixing. It was also possible to confirm the possible association of introgressions into 5B chromosome with a decrease in thousand kernel weight.

Background. Improving the grain quality of modern spring bread wheat cultivars is a highly relevant task of breeding. To solve this problem, old and local wheat varieties (landraces) are of considerable interest. A rich collection of them is available among the plant genetic resources preserved at VIR. With this in view, the aim of this research was to identify sources of high protein, gluten, macro- and micronutrient content out of the landraces from the VIR collection for improvement of wheat grain quality through breeding.Materials and methods. Field and laboratory research were conducted in the experimental field of Omsk State Agrarian University under the conditions of the southern forest-steppe of Western Siberia in 2020–2021. Sowing was carried out on fallow on conventional sowing dates. Mineral composition in the grain of the studied landraces was analyzed at the Kurchatov Genomic Center, Novosibirsk, using atomic absorption spectrometry techniques.Results. The research results showed that landraces from different regions of Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan were characterized by high levels of protein (18.4–18.8%) and gluten (35.9–36.0%) in grain. Landraces from Kazakhstan had low Zn content (on average 38.3 mg/kg), while those from Kyrgyzstan, on the contrary, had high content of Zn (41.9 mg/kg) and Fe (55.1 mg/kg), and landraces from Tajikistan had high K content (3820 mg/kg). A positive relationship between the concentrations of Mg, Mn, Fe, and Zn was found in the grain of wheat landraces.Conclusion. Wheat landraces are of interest as genetic resources for the development of high-protein cultivars with improved nutritional value of grain for the milling and breadmaking industries.

Spring bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) is a major crop in Russia and in Kazakhstan. The rust pathogens, leaf rust caused by the fungus Puccinia triticina, stem rust incited by P. graminis and yellow rust caused by P. striiformis, are the significant biotic factors affecting wheat production. In this study, 40 new promising spring wheat genotypes from the Kazakhstan-Siberia Network for Spring Wheat Improvement (KASIB) were tested for resistance to leaf, stem and yellow rust at the seedling stage, and for identification of rust resistance genes using molecular markers. In addition, the collection was tested for leaf rust resistance and grain yields in the South Urals agroclimatic zone of Russia in 2023. As a result, 16 accessions with seedling resistance to leaf rust, 21 to stem rust and 4 to yellow rust were identified. Three breeding accessions were resistant to all rust species, and nine to P. triticina and P. graminis. Wheat accessions resistant to leaf rust at the seedling stage were also resistant in the field. Molecular analysis showed the presence of cataloged resistance genes, Lr1, Lr3a, Lr9, Lr10, Lr19, Lr20, Lr24, Lr26, Sr15, Sr24, Sr25, Sr31, Sr38, Yr9 and Yr18; uncatalogued genes Lr6Agi1 and Lr6Agi2 from Thinopyrum intermedium and LrAsp from Aegilops speltoides; and 1AL.1RS translocation. The current analysis showed an increase in leaf and stem rust resistance of new KASIB genotypes and their genetic diversity due to the inclusion of alien genetic material in breeding.

Background and ObjectivesIntermediate wheatgrass (IWG), a resilient perennial grain with adaptability to difficult climates, is emerging as a compelling candidate for sustainable food solutions in bakery product applications. This study evaluated the pasting and rheological properties of doughs made from bread wheat flour and blended bread wheat-IWG flours (IWG content: 15%, 30%, 45% and 60%), with the goal of exploring the potential of IWG flour as a nutritious and sustainable ingredient in cereal-based products. FindingsThe RVA peak, trough, and final viscosity values significantly (p < .05) decreased, and the pasting temperature increased as the IWG substitution level increased. IWG-containing flour blends had a lower retrogradation tendency compared to the control. As the IWG flour substitution level increased, both empirical (Mixograph, Kieffer dough and gluten extensibility, Glutograph) and fundamental (linear oscillatory frequency sweep and creep-recovery) rheological measurements indicated relatively weaker dough properties imparted by the addition of the IWG flour. ConclusionsThe outcomes of this research will shed light on the impacts of utilizing alternative grains, such as intermediate wheatgrass, in bakery applications. This will provide insights that could inform the development of nutritious and sustainable baked products to meet the demands of health-conscious consumers. Significance and NoveltyThe dough weakening effect of the IWG flour was tolerated at the 15% IWG flour substitution level. At lower substitution levels, the IWG-containing flour blends exhibited a lower retrogradation tendency compared to bread wheat flour, which could indicate lower staling of loaves of bread during bread storage without compromising the physical quality of bakery products. Finally, the present research fills a critical gap in the literature as it represents the first application of fundamental rheological methods at known and controlled strain and stresses to evaluate the physical properties of doughs prepared from IWG flour blends.

The expansion of winter wheat sowing areas is one of the reserves for increasing grain production in the Siberian region, since the areas under winter wheat is 15–20 % larger than under spring wheat according to productivity and has great potential in using bioclimatic resources of the region. the availability of sources of economically valuable traits and the development of various initial material on their basis is of decisive importance for breeding of new winter wheat varieties and their successful introduction into production. The purpose of the current paper was to find sources of economically valuable traits from the collection of winter wheat varieties of Russian breeding in the conditions of Western Siberia. There has been studied a collection of varieties and lines of winter common wheat of Russian breeding from the institutions of the Rostov region, Stavropol, and Krasnodar Areas. Field and laboratory trials were carried out on the experimental field of the Omsk SAU in the conditions of the southern forest-steppe of Western Siberia in 2020–2022. Sowing was laid in fallow at the generally accepted sowing dates. According to the breeding estimation of the studied samples in the field seasons of 2020–2022 there was a significant correlation between winter resistance of plants and winter wheat productivity (r = 0.59), as well as an inverse correlation between productivity and gluten percentage (r = –0.36), grain ash content (r = –0.73) and sedimentation (r = –0.38). The varieties ‘Barynya’ (North Caucasian FNAC), ‘Gubernator Dona’, ‘Donna’ (Rostov ARC), ‘Don 107’, ‘Nakhodka’ (ARC “Donskoy”) and the line ‘K18918’ (RCG named after P.P. Lukyanenko), characterized by increased winter resistance (6.5–8 points) and productivity (351–384 g/m2) have been recommended as sources in breeding to improve productivity level and stability of winter wheat varieties in the conditions of Western Siberia. The varieties ‘Etnos’, ‘Anka’, ‘Gurt’, ‘Antonina’, ‘Alekseich’ and ‘Duplet’ of Krasnodar breeding with a high protein and gluten percentage (16.1–17.9 % and 35.5–39.3 %), large grain ash content and sedimentation (1.59–1.92 % and 58.0–67.0 ml) can be used as an initial material in breeding to improve the quality of winter wheat grain.

In this study, 21 synthetic hexaploid wheat samples were analyzed and compared for phenolic content (the Folin–Ciocalteu method), phenolic compositions, and antioxidant activity (DPPH, ABTS, and CUPRAC). The aim of the study was to determine the phenolic content and antioxidant activity of synthetic wheat lines developed from Ae. Tauschii, which has a wide genetic diversity, to be used in breeding programs for developing new varieties with better nutritional properties. Bound, free, and total phenolic contents (TPCs) of wheat samples were determined as 145.38–258.55 mg GAE/100 g wheat, 188.19–369.38 mg GAE/100 g wheat, and 333.58–576.93 mg GAE/100 g wheat, respectively. Phenolic compositions were detected by the HPLC system. Gallic acid was found in the highest concentrations in free fractions, whereas gallic, p-coumaric acid, and chlorogenic acid were generally found in the highest concentrations in bound fractions of the synthetic hexaploid wheat samples. The antioxidant activities (AA%) of the wheat samples were evaluated by the DPPH assay. AA% in the free extracts of the synthetic red wheat samples ranged from 33.0% to 40.5%, and AA% values in the bound extracts of the synthetic hexaploid wheat samples varied between 34.4% and 50.6%. ABTS and CUPRAC analyses were also used to measure antioxidant activities. The ABTS values of the free and bound extracts and total ABTS values of the synthetic wheat samples ranged from 27.31 to 123.18, 61.65 to 263.23, and 93.94 to 308.07 mg TE/100 g, respectively. The corresponding CUPRAC values of the synthetic wheats were between 25.78–160.94, 75.35–308.13, and 107.51–364.79 mg TE/100 g. This study revealed that synthetic hexaploid wheat samples are valuable resources for breeding programs for developing new wheat varieties with higher concentrations and better compositions of health-beneficial phytochemicals. The samples w1 (Ukr.-Od. 1530.94/Ae. squarrosa (629)), w18 (Ukr.-Od. 1530.94/Ae. squarrosa (1027)), and w20 (Ukr.-Od. 1530.94/Ae. squarrosa (392)) can be used as a genetic resource in breeding programs to enhance the nutritional quality of wheat.

Spring durum wheat occupies over 0.5 M ha in Kazakhstan and represents an important domestic and export commodity. This study aimed to characterize 151 durum wheat cultivars and advanced lines originating from eight breeding programs of the Kazakhstan–Siberia Spring Wheat Improvement Network (KASIB) between 2003 and 2018. The phenotypic characterization was performed in two contracting evaluation sites more than 1000 km apart (Almaty in the Southeast and Shortandy in the North) for two years and a total of 11 agronomic traits were recorded. Field trials at both locations followed regional agronomy practices, including sowing, harvesting, and genotype evaluation using a randomized complete block design (RCBD). The growing season was longer in Almaty, resulting in a higher number of grains per spike. Though grains are smaller in size with an overall higher yield, 243 g/m2 versus 170 g/m2, there was no correlation between germplasm performance at the two sites. Molecular characterization was performed with 10 iPBS-retrotransposons primers that resulted in a total of 345 bands and showed a mean polymorphism of 91.9%. Mean values of gene diversity (0.251), Shannon’s information index (0.388), and expected heterozygosity (0.233) revealed a relatively high level of genetic diversity in the KASIB set. AMOVA revealed higher genetic variations due to differences within the populations. Marker-based cluster analysis, including STRUCTURE and neighbor-joining algorithms, divided the material into two populations with clear differences in geographic origin. Superiors and diverse germplasm identified in the study are recommended for marker assisted selection and breeding.

In this study, the different colored wheat brans were analyzed and compared for phenolic content (PC), phenolic compositions, and the total antioxidant capacity (TEAC) with methods based on the ability to eliminate radicals of 2,2'-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS), 2,2-diphenyl-1-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl) hydrazyl (DPPH), and anthocyanin compositions. This study also aims to characterize the bioactive components of wheat grain genotypes as well as to test the protective and rescuer effects of their extracts on colorectal cancer (CRC) cell lines. PCs in the bound insoluble fraction of red wheat bran, blue wheat bran, and purple wheat bran were determined as 369.60, 446.95, and 486.79 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/100 g wheat bran, respectively, while strong relationships were detected between PC and antioxidant activity (DPPH and ABTS) results. HPLC anal-ysis of phenolic extracts demonstrated that ferulic acid was determined as the dominant phenolic acid in the bound fractions of red, purple, and blue wheats. In the free fractions, p-coumaric acid (11.55 µg/100 g wheat bran) was the dominant phenolic acid for red wheat bran, whereas ellagic acid (14.72 and 11.55 µg/100 g wheat bran) was the highest phenolic acid for purple and blue wheat brans, respectively. In bound fractions, ferulic acid was the highest phenolic acid for red (988.39 µg/100 g wheat bran), purple (1948.76 µg/100 g wheat bran), and blue (2263.96 µg/100 g wheat bran) wheat brans. On the other hand, Cyanidin-3-O-glucoside chloride was the predominant anthocyanin in free extracts of purple and blue wheat brans. In line with the antioxidant activities and phenolic acid concentrations, the blue wheat bran extracts increased CRC cell viability nonsignificantly in HT-29 and HCT-116 cell lines, whereas purple wheat bran extract had a significantly higher (P = 0.0361) rescuer effect compared to vehicle control under 50 µM H2O2 concentration. In conclusion, the in vitro data here show that blue and purple wheat brans are posing a novel means to increase the defense of cells against oxidative stress and cell death.