Abstract
Wheatgrass is widely used in the alternative medicine, however, there is a lack of clinical evidence to support its efficacy. Although based on its chemical composition, data from animal experiments and clinical trials, the use of juice and extracts of Triticum shoots seems to be safe, clinical reports point out its potential interaction with oral anticoagulants. The aim of our study was to assess the interaction of wheatgrass with warfarin in rats and to assess its flavonoid content. Three groups of animals were treated orally with wheatgrass, warfarin, or the combination of wheatgrass and warfarin for five days. Clotting assays were performed using platelet-poor plasma. Prothrombin time was determined by optical and mechanical coagulometers. Flavonoid content of wheatgrass was measured by HPLC. The effect of wheatgrass on prothrombin time was not confirmed. Co-administration of wheatgrass and warfarin did not result in diminished anticoagulant activity. Low amount of flavonoids was detected in wheatgrass juice, the total flavonoid content was 0.467 mg/100 g lyophilized juice powder. The previously reported rutin, quercetin and apigenin was not detected by us. Our results do not confirm the probability of interaction of wheatgrass with oral anticoagulants. However, the low flavonoid content of wheatgrass does not support its use as an antioxidant.
Highlights
The lyophilized juice was fractioned by column chromatography on polyamide stationary phase in order to enrich flavonoids in certain fractions and to separate from chlorophyll
The flavonoid content of the analyzed sample was rather low, the supposed antioxidant effect of wheatgrass may be attributed to other compounds than the flavonoids
The main component of extracts is chlorophyll, and no toxic compounds have been reported from this plant
Summary
Wheatgrass is one of the most versatilely used plants in contemporary folk medicine, with indications ranging from diabetes to cancer. The medicinal application of young cereal grass leaves—harvested just before the jointing stage—started at the beginning of the 20th century, after the discovery of structural similarities of hemoglobin and chlorophyll. The structural similarities of chlorophyll and hemoglobin and the potential consequences in bioactivity, even the “limited use of chlorophyll as a blood substitute” have been discussed even in recent papers [2,3]. Wheatgrass treatment increased the quality of life of children with thalassemia, there was no reduction in the frequency of blood transfusion requirement [5]
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