Wheatgrass has gained increasing attention due to its high content of bioactive compounds and associated health benefits. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of harvest timing and wheat variety on plant growth, phytochemical composition—including chlorophyll a (Chl a), chlorophyll b (Chl b), total chlorophyll content (TCC), total phenolic content (TPC), and total flavonoid content (TFC)—as well as antioxidant capacity in wheatgrass obtained from modern bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.; cv.
Tosunbey) and ancestral einkorn wheat (Triticum monococcum ssp. monococcum; cv. IZA). Seedlings were harvested at 10 different growth stages (5 to 15 days old). The results revealed that 9-day-old bread wheatgrass exhibited the highest Chl a (9.43 mg/g FW), Chl b (2.69 mg/g FW), and TCC (12.12 mg/g FW).
In contrast, 9-day-old einkorn wheatgrass had the highest TPC (55.18 ± 0.29 mg FAE/g DW) and TFC (263.11 ± 1.92 mg QE/g DW). Notably, the strongest antioxidant activity (2.29 mg/L), comparable to ascorbic acid (2.26 mg/L), was observed in 5-day-old einkorn wheatgrass. The peak levels of TCC, TPC, and TFC were consistently detected on day 9 in both species.
These findings highlight the critical role of harvest timing and genetic variation in optimizing the nutritional and functional properties of wheatgrass. While 9-day-old seedlings exhibited the highest phytochemical accumulation, the strongest antioxidant activity was observed in 5-day-old einkorn wheatgrass.
Overall, einkorn wheatgrass demonstrated a more potent antioxidant system and higher phenolic and flavonoid content, whereas bread wheatgrass excelled in chlorophyll accumulation, emphasizing distinct compositional advantages between the two wheat varieties.