Content analysis of vitamins, dietary fibers and amino acids in a wide collection of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) from Tibet, China

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is an important agricultural crop. Various studies on the genetic diversity, biochemical and molecular attributes on this species are known. However, information on nutritional variability in a large panel of barley cultivars is limited. Therefore, it is of interest for a quantitative analysis of vitamins, amino acids and dietary fibers in 245 barley of Tibet region in China. The coefficient of variation analysis revealed strong variation of vitamins (VB1>VB2>VE), essential amino acids (valine, histidine, methionine, lysine), non-essential amino acids (proline, tyrosine, cysteine), dietary fibers, (cellulose > lignin). Principal component analysis detected three clusters of cultivars, each with specific characteristics. However, the most nutritional cultivars were found in Cluster 3, which encompassed 52 cultivars. Distinctly, six cultivars (ZQ2000, BJX230, BJX229, BJX249, BJX191 and BJX265) were identified with highest nutritional values. This study reveals a large nutritional diversity in barley cultivars from Tibet and represents an important reference for the exploitation of these germplasm in crop improvement and breeding programmes.