Int. J. Pharm. Sci. Rev. Res., 40(1), September – October 2016; Article No. 56, Pages: 307-312 ISSN 0976 – 044X Research Article Preliminary Phytochemical Analysis of Wheat Grass Leaf Extracts Megha Murali, Archa Raj M, Akhil S.A, Liji R.S, Sruthy S. Kumar, Anju M. Nair, Neethu S. Kumar* Post Graduate Department and Research Centre of Botany, Mahatma Gandhi College, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. *Corresponding author’s E-mail: [email protected] Accepted on: 05-07-2016; Finalized on: 31-08-2016. ABSTRACT Plants have been used for medicinal purposes since time immemorial. There is a growing demand for plant based medicines, health products, pharmaceuticals, food supplements and cosmetics. Wheat grass is the mature shoot of the plant Triticum aestivum Linn. Which belongs to the family Gramineae. Wheat Grass Juice (WGJ) is an extract squeezed from the mature sprouts of wheat seeds. Green Blood Therapy is the use of wheat grass juice (WGJ) to cure multiple diseases. The name “green blood” of wheat grass is attributable to its high chlorophyll content which accounts for about 70% its total chemical constituents and also to its close structural similarity to Haemoglobin. Wheat grass juice contains almost all the nutrients the body requires and is considered to be a complete food. The present study intends to provide an overview of the chemical constituents present in the crude leaf extracts of T. aestivum both fresh and dried, with special emphasis on their pharmacological actions. The powdered leaf extracts as well as the fresh juice of wheat grass have been screened for phytochemical constituents in four different solvents as methanol, acetone, ethanol and water. Preliminary phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of ten compounds such as carbohydrates, tannins, steroids, terpenoids, alkaloids, flavonoids, cardiac glycosides, sapponins, coumarins, amino acids etc. phytochemical analysis of both the fresh and dried samples were more positive for aqueous extracts. The results suggest that the leaves are a rich source of valuable primary and secondary metabolites. Keywords: Wheat grass juice, Green blood therapy, Triticum aestivum, Nature’s finest medicine, Complete food, Pharmacological effects, Therapeutic benefits and phytochemical constituents of WGJ. INTRODUCTION active enzymes3. It stimulates metabolism and also restores alkalinity to the blood. It’s the chlorophyll erbal or ‘alternative’ medicine is gaining content in wheat grass that detoxifies the body and popularity and scientific attributes regarding strengthens immunity. The three most important effects wheatgrass as a “functional food” is becoming H of wheat grass on the human body are blood purification, more available and popular as a research topic liver detoxification and colon cleansing 4. Wheat grass .Wheat Grass Juice (WGJ) is an extract squeezed from the therapy is recommended for patients suffering from mature sprouts of wheat seeds (T. aestivum). Wheat grass chronic diseases like Asthma, Atherosclerosis, Parkinson’s can be traced back in history over 5000 years in ancient disease, Joint pains, Constipation, Hypertension, Egypt and perhaps even early in Mesopotamian Diabetes, Insomnia, Bronchitis, Sterility, Haemorrhage, civilization. It is reported that ancient Egyptians found Obesity and Flatulence. It is also useful in the treatment sacred the young leafy blades of wheat and freezed them of Cancer. for positive effect on their health and vitality. The consumption of wheat grass in western world began in The use of WGJ for therapeutic purposes was developed the 1930's as a result of the experiments conducted by and popularized by Dr. Ann Wigmore, as part of her Charles Schnabel an agricultural chemist on his hens using herbal therapeutic nutritional approach. Wigmore, wheatgrass to nurse them back to health 1. Wheat grass believed that wheat grass, as a part of a raw food diet, is the mature shoot of T. aestivum L. It belongs to family would cleanse the body of toxins while providing a proper Gramineae. Triticum is a genus of annual and biennial balance of nutrients as a whole food. The use of grasses, yielding various types of wheat, native to south wheatgrass, particularly its fresh juice became popular west Asia2. Common or bread wheat, is widely cultivated again in the 1970s, through Ann Wigmore’s “The almost all over the world. Generally, 15-20 species are Wheatgrass Book” which later on became somewhat of a recognized, of which 8 have been reported to occur in gospel amongst health supplement fanatics. Ann India. Wheat grass is cost efficient and a source to Wigmore also established the famous Hippocrates Centre provide all kinds of nutrients like vitamins, proteins, treating thousands of clients with herbal grasses and minerals, antioxidants and medicinal benefits for a wheatgrass juice 1 Fig.1 & 2. In Asia and Europe wheat healthy and rejuvenating body. Wheat grass has high grass based products are consumed in the form of juices, concentration of chlorophyll, minerals (calcium, powders and extracts for the healthy growth of human potassium, iron, magnesium, sodium and sulphur), and 17 body. Wheat grass juice is nature's finest medicine. Two forms of amino acids. , vitamins (A, B, C, E and K) and ounces of wheat grass juice has the nutritional International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences Review and Research . International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences Review and Research Available online at www.globalresearchonline.net 307 . Available online at www.globalresearchonline.net © Copyright protected. Unauthorised republication, reproduction, distribution, dissemination and copying of this document in whole or in part is strictly prohibited. Int. J. Pharm. Sci. Rev. Res., 40(1), September – October 2016; Article No. 56, Pages: 307-312 ISSN 0976 – 044X equivalence of five pounds of the best raw organic dismutase (SOD). The other notable feature of vegetables. It is over flowing with vitamins, aminoacids, wheatgrass is its high proportion of amino acids such as liver enzymes and chlorophyll. It contains 98 of 102 earth aspartic acid, glutamic acid, arginine, alanine and serine. elements found in soil, including phosphorous, calcium, It also has a high content of bioflavonoids like apigenin, iron, magnesium and potassium as well as essential quercitin and luteolin. All of these enzymes contribute to enzymes and 19 aminoacids. It has twice vitamin A as in its antioxidant activity. Other compounds present, which carrots and is higher in vitamin C than oranges4. It make this grass therapeutically effective, are the indole contains the full spectrum of complete proteins which is compounds, choline and laetrile (amygdalin) 8. in the form of simple polypeptides, a short chain of Wheat grass can be cultivated in outdoors, but is aminoacids that the body absorbs more efficiently in the commonly grown in indoors on trays filled with potting blood stream. mix for 15 days. As the leaves grow, they eventually split. In order to develop a holistic approach for the treatment At this so called “jointing stage” point the blades can be of chronic diseases, scientists and clinicians world over snipped off, allowing for a second round of leaves to are now a day’s conducting extensive studies to evaluate grow. Wheat grass was successfully grown in growth the efficacy of wheat grass (in the form of powder or chambers and in field conditions at temperature of 18 to juice) and also for the better understanding of 26 0C and a relative humidity of 40 to 50% was found to therapeutic potential of this medicinal grass 5. be suitable for the growth of wheat grass 9. MATERIALS AND METHODS Collection of plants The plants for the present study were cultivated in indoors on trays filled with potting mix for about 15 days and we also use commercially available ‘chlorophyll instant powder’ for comparative phytochemical analysis . Isolation of pigments One gram of wheat grass tissue was ground in 50 ml of Figure 1 80% acetone. The homogenate was filtered, centrifuged at 6000 rpm for 15 minutes and the supernatant was taken as the pigment source. Absorption spectra Absorbancy of the pigments were read between wave lengths 400-720 in a spectrophotometer (systronics 104). Absorption spectra were constructed by plotting wavelength on x-axis and absorbance on y-axis. 4. Quantification of pigments by Arnon's formula From specific absorptions obtained the pigments were quantified based on Arnon's formula. Figure 2 Mg chlorophyll a/g tissue = 12.7(A663)-2.69(A645) * V/ In recent years, phytochemicals previously with unknown (1000*W) pharmacological activities have been extensively Mg chlorophyll b/g tissue = 22.9(A645) -4.68(A663) * V/ investigated, as a source one of the medicinal agents. (1000*W) Green Blood Therapy is the use of Wheat Grass Juice (WGJ) to cure multiple diseases. Wheat grass is called as Mg total chlorophyll l/g tissue = 20.2(A645) + 8.02(A663) * the green blood. The name “green blood” of wheat grass V/ (1000*W) is attributable to its high chlorophyll content which Total carotenoids = (D490-0.114) - (D663-0.638) - accounts for about 70% of its total chemical (D645) constituents6&7. Phytochemical Analysis Wheatgrass juice is a rich source of Vitamins A, C, E and B complex, including B12. It contains a multitude of Prepared plant extracts were analysed for the presence of minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, alkaloids, carbohydrates, glycosides, saponins, proteins, alkaline earth metals, potassium, zinc, boron and fixed oils, steroids, terpenoids, tannins, flavanoids, gum molybdenum. The various enzymes responsible for its mucilages etc. (The presence of phytochemicals pharmacological actions are protease, amylase, lipase, extracted in various solvents was confirmed by standard cytochrome oxidase, transhydrogenase and super oxide protocols). International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences Review and Research . International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences Review and Research Available online at www.globalresearchonline.net 308 . Available online at www.globalresearchonline.net © Copyright protected. Unauthorised republication, reproduction, distribution, dissemination and copying of this document in whole or in part is strictly prohibited. Int. J.