Takayuki Shibamoto*, Masahiro Horiuchi and Katsumi Umano

Abstract: Composition of young green leaves of barley and wheat were analyzed for volatile compounds by GC/MS. The volatile compounds identified in the barley extract were eight aliphatic alcohols; 18 aliphatic aldehydes; 17 aliphatic ketones; two aliphatic esters; one aliphatic acid; 20 heterocyclic compounds (furans, pyrroles, thiazoles, and pyrazines); 15 terpenes and related compounds; 12 aromatic compounds; and one sulfur containing compound. The main components of barley extract were (E)-b-ionone (4.55 ppm), benzaldehyde (2.98 ppm), furfural (2.40 ppm), 5,6-epoxyb-ionone (2.36 ppm), and benzylaldehyde (2.32 ppm). Volatile compounds found in the wheat extract were similar to those found in the barley extract. The volatile compounds identified in the wheat extract were 11 aliphatic alcohols; 20 aliphatic aldehydes; 16 aliphatic ketones; four aliphatic esters; five aliphatic acids; 10 heterocyclic compounds (furans, pyrroles, and pyrazines); 18 terpenes and related compounds; 14 aromatic compounds; five nitriles; and two sulfur containing compounds. The main components of wheat extract were 5-hexenenitrile (5.51 ppm), phytol (4.62 ppm), phenyl acetonitrile (4.39 ppm), 4-pentennitrile (4.36 ppm), (E)-b-ionone (3.40 ppm), 5,6-epoxy-b-ionone (2.21ppm), and b-cyclocitral (1.83 ppm).

Barley has been a major food item in many parts of the world since ancient times. Barley is the fourth most important grain crop in the US. Barley grain is used for livestock feed (50%), malting (25%), distilled alcohol production (14%), and others—malt syrup, malted milk, and breakfast foods—(6%) in the US. Barley was originally cultivated in China around 1,500- 2,000 BC, and in northwestern Europe around 3,000 BC (1). Until recently, only grain from barley has been consumed by people. The importance of the biological activity of barley leaves has been discovered in the last two decades and barley leaf juice has become a very popular health drink today. There have been numerous reports on the biological activities of the essence from young green barley leaves (2,3). In the present study, volatile compounds in an essence from green barley leaves were analyzed, as well as those in an essence from green wheat leaves.