The ratio of B to C hordeins in barley as estimated by high performance liquid chromatography

The ratio of B to C hordeins was determined using high performance liquid chromatography (h.p.l.c.) for a range of spring barley cultivars and the values obtained varied from 1.79 for Kneifel to 4.15 for Goldmarker. Fine grinding of seed samples resulted in a significant increase in the quantity of protein solubilised but relatively little difference was observed in the B and C hordein ratio, which appeared to be independent of protein extraction efficiency. Increased nitrogen content significantly changed the ratio by increasing the proportion of C hordein. A highly significant correlation was found between the B and C hordein ratio and sample nitrogen content. Analysis of single seeds selected at random from within a single sample of Goldmarker revealed considerable variability in the B and C hordein ratios with values differing by over 2 units. Due to the sensitivity of the B to C hordein ratio to various environmental effects, it is unlikely that the ratio will be of great value as an unambiguous aid in the identification of barley cultivars.