Fourteen phenolic compounds (flavonoids and phenolic acids) were isolated and 19 were identified in the aerial parts of Triticum aestivum L. The structures of these compounds were established on the basis of the data obtained by electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques. T. aestivum L. was found to be rich in flavones, especially in luteolin derivatives. Three of the isolated compounds, including luteolin 6-C-[6Glc″-O-E-caffeoyl-β-D-glucopyranosyl(1″→2)-β-glucopyranoside], luteolin 6-C-[5Rib″-O-E-feruoyl-β-D-ribofuranosyl(1″→2)-β-glucopyranoside], and 3',4',5'-O-trimethyltricetin 7-O-[β-D-glucuropyranosyl(1″→2)-β-D-glucopyranoside], have been reported for the first time in the plant kingdom. The amount of individual phenolics, in winter wheat, was also determined. Additionally, the free radical scavenging potential of the isolated compounds was tested in a simple and rapid thin-layer chromatography-2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical test (TLC-DPPH•) with image processing.
