Abstract In the last decades, finding new methods to preserve the quality of wheat during post-harvest storage has become of primary importance to guarantee high-quality food products. Attacks by rodents and microorganisms, as well as humidity and high temperatures, are well-known factors affecting the qualitative and quantitative features of stored grains. The use of a controlled atmosphere saturated with different gases (such as carbon dioxide-CO2 and nitrogen-N2) is known to decrease the growth of microorganisms. Furthermore, the use of N2 is free of pollutants, thus being an environmental-friendly method. In this study, the use of a controlled atmosphere saturated with N2 was investigated as a method to preserve the nutraceutical qualities in two old Italian wheat cultivars (i.e. Verna and Cappelli). In particular, vitamin E (α-tocopherol), polyphenols and antiradical activity were quantified to highlight the differences between traditional storage methods and the use of a controlled atmosphere saturated with N2. The data obtained showed that the use of a N2-saturated atmosphere reduced the loss of functional molecules, especially vitamin E, in both cultivars, during long storage periods. Moreover, the present system is suitable for the storage of seeds of old varieties cultivated under organic agriculture. Overall, the results validate the efficacy of the storage method with N2 and suggest its possible use for wheat on an industrial scale.

中文翻译：

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在筒仓储存期间用于保存功能分子的受控氮气氛：使用意大利古老小麦品种的案例研究

摘要 在过去的几十年里，寻找新的方法在收获后储存期间保持小麦的质量已成为保证高质量食品的首要任务。啮齿动物和微生物的侵袭，以及湿度和高温，是众所周知的影响储存谷物定性和定量特征的因素。众所周知，使用不同气体（例如二氧化碳-CO2 和氮气-N2）饱和的受控气氛可以减少微生物的生长。此外，N2 的使用没有污染物，因此是一种环境友好的方法。在这项研究中，研究了使用充满 N2 的受控气氛作为保护两个古老的意大利小麦品种（即 Verna 和 Cappelli）的营养品品质的方法。特别是维生素 E（α-生育酚），对多酚和抗自由基活性进行量化，以突出传统储存方法与使用 N2 饱和的受控气氛之间的差异。获得的数据表明，在长期储存期间，使用 N2 饱和气氛减少了两个品种的功能分子，尤其是维生素 E 的损失。此外，本系统适用于有机农业种植的老品种种子的储存。总体而言，结果验证了 N2 储存方法的有效性，并表明其可能在工业规模上用于小麦。获得的数据表明，在长期储存期间，使用 N2 饱和气氛减少了两个品种的功能分子，尤其是维生素 E 的损失。此外，本系统适用于有机农业种植的老品种种子的储存。总体而言，结果验证了 N2 储存方法的有效性，并表明其可能在工业规模上用于小麦。获得的数据表明，在长期储存期间，使用 N2 饱和气氛减少了两个品种的功能分子，尤其是维生素 E 的损失。此外，本系统适用于有机农业下培育的老品种种子的储存。总体而言，结果验证了 N2 储存方法的有效性，并表明其可能在工业规模上用于小麦。