Research Article

Evaluation of the antioxidant activity of wheatgrass (Triticum aestivum L.) as a function of growth under different conditions

  1. Sunil D. Kulkarni1,
  2. Jai. C. Tilak2,
  3. R. Acharya3,
  4. Nilima S. Rajurkar1,
  5. T. P. A. Devasagayam2,
  6. A. V. R. Reddy3,*

Article first published online: 6 MAR 2006

DOI: 10.1002/ptr.1838

Issue

Phytotherapy Research

Phytotherapy Research

Volume 20, Issue 3, pages 218–227, March 2006

Additional Information

How to Cite

Kulkarni, S. D., Tilak, J. C., Acharya, R., Rajurkar, N. S., Devasagayam, T. P. A. and Reddy, A. V. R. (2006), Evaluation of the antioxidant activity of wheatgrass (Triticum aestivum L.) as a function of growth under different conditions. Phytotherapy Research, 20: 218–227. doi: 10.1002/ptr.1838

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Chemistry, University of Pune, Pune 411 007, India

  2. 2

    Radiation Biology and Health Sciences Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400 085, India

  3. 3

    Radiochemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400 085, India

*Radiochemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400 085, India.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 6 MAR 2006
  2. Article first published online: 6 MAR 2006
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 21 NOV 2005
  4. Manuscript Received: 26 MAY 2005

Funded by

  • Board of Research in Nuclear Sciences (BRNS), Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), India under Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC)-University of Pune.

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Keywords:

  • wheatgrass;
  • antioxidant potential;
  • growth period;
  • free radicals;
  • lipid peroxidation;
  • ORAC values

Abstract

The antioxidant activity of wheatgrass, which is consumed as a dietary supplement, was estimated at different levels. The methods employed include FRAP (ferric reducing antioxidant power), ABTS (2,2′-azobis-3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) and DPPH (1,1′-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) assays. Aqueous and ethanol extracts of wheatgrass grown under different conditions over a period of 6, 7, 8, 10 and 15 days were used. Lipid peroxidation and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) were determined and utilized to check the potency of a few selected extracts. Different conditions used for growth were (1) tap water, (2) tap water with nutrients, (3) soil and tap water, and (4) soil with nutrients. For comparison, a commercially available wheatgrass tablet was analysed. To explain the reasons behind the observed differences, the total phenolic and flavonoid contents of the extracts were measured. These contents increased with growth under all the conditions. The ethanol extracts were found to have a higher phenolic and flavonoid content than the aqueous extracts. The highest FRAP values occurred on day 15 of growth under condition 4, the values being 0.463 and 0.573 mmol of ascorbic acid and Trolox equivalents/100 g fresh wheatgrass for aqueous and ethanol extracts, respectively. In the aqueous extracts no specific trend was observed with the DPPH assay for the different conditions nor for the growth period. In the case of ethanol extracts, however, it increased with the growth period and the wheatgrass grown in condition 4 was found to be the most effective. These extracts were also found to inhibit significantly ascorbate-Fe2+ induced lipid peroxidation in rat liver mitochondria. The ORAC values of aqueous and ethanol extracts of day 10 with condition 4 were found to be 39.9 and 48.2, respectively, being higher than those reported for many natural extracts or vegetables. opyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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