Thin‐layer chromatographic studies of phenolics in oats

Twenty‐two biotypes of oats were studied, including 15 cultivated varieties of Avena sativa and 7 representatives of the hexaploid species A. byzantina and A. sterilis , the tetraploids A. abyssinica and A. barbata and the diploid A. strigosa . Only moderate differences between species and varieties were observed in comparisons between leaves from young plants, but the variation increased in mature plants. Sharp differences also occurred between young and mature plants of the same biotype. Later, 4 varieties were cultivated in a growth chamber, from which leaf samples were collected every 14 days and analysed. Plant age obviously influenced chromatographic pattern; however, environmental factors were also important, as striking differences were found in comparisons between mature plants grown in the experimental field and in the growth chamber, respectively.