Genetic Variation of Functional Components in Grains of Improved Barley Lines from Four Continents

[Objective] The study was to analyze functional components in improved barley grains. [Method] Genetic variations of functional components in grains among 629 barley improved lines from four continents were determined with DU640-type ul- traviolet spectrophotometry （BECKMAN）. [Result] The contents （mg/100 g） of total flavones and GABA in grains of Asian barley lines （123.09_＋29.56, 9.49_＋4.34） were significantly higher than that of American barley lines （103.85_22.33, 7.38_＋3.59）, while no significant difference was observed between Asia/Americas and Europe （115.47_＋11.41, 9.66-＋3.98） and Australia （104.20-＋4.76, 8.83-＋3.41）; furthermore, there was no significant difference of resistant starch content （%） in barley grains among four continents [Asia （1.63_＋1.44）, America （1.54_＋1.13）, Europe （1.20＋0.85） and Aus- tralia （0.27_＋0.26）]. The contents （%） of resistant starch in grains of two-rowed barley （ssp. Hordeurn distichon Koern., 1.45_＋1.20） was significantly lower than that of poly- rowed barley （ssp. Hordeum vulgare Orlov., 1.95_＋1.24）. On the contrary, the content of total flavones in two-rowed lines （111.43_＋27.79 mg/100 g） wa, s significantly higher than that of poly-rowed lines （102.15_＋14.95 mg/100 g）, and the content of GABA in two-rowed lines （8.55＋_3.73 mg/100 g） was also significantly higher than that of poly-rowed lines （5.96_＋3.95 mg/100 g）. There was the most significant correlation between GABA content and resistant starch （-0.21）/total flavones content （0.12 , P〈0.01, n=-629）. There were great genotype differences among the functional compo- nents in barley grains. The coefficient of variation （78.60%） and range （0-9.29%） of resistant starch （1.56_＋1.22%） were relatively large, including 11 high-resistant starch lines above 5%; the coefficient of variation （49.00%） and range （0-30.67 mg/100g） of GABA （8.00-＋3.92 mg/100 g） were also relatively large, including 26 lines with GABA higher than 15 mg/100 g; the coefficient of variation （23.63%） and range （58.44-236.91 mg/100 g） of total flavones （109.44-＋25.85 mg/100 g） was relatively small, including 14 lines with total flavones higher than 176 mg/100 g. [Conclusion] There are zonal and genotypic differences in the contents of of functiona~ compo- nents in barley grains.