Identification and discrimination of New Zealand bread wheat, durum wheat, and rye cultivars by RP-HPLC

This paper describes modifications to the procedure for identification of New Zealand bread wheat, New Zealand and Australian durum wheat, and New Zealand and overseas rye cultivars by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) of the alcohol-soluble proteins (gliadins or secalins). Twenty-three outclassed and current bread wheat cultivars, six durum wheat cultivars, and four rye cultivars were examined. Each was found to be uniquely identifiable from its protein elution pattern. Rye had one peak that was clearly distinguished from all bread and durum wheats examined. This enabled the identification of rye in a wheat/rye mix. It may be possible, using this technique, for the proportion of rye in a mixture to be quantitated.