Bulletin of the National Research Centre (Feb 2020)
Nutritional value and impact of wheatgrass juice (Green Blood Therapy) on increasing fertility in male albino rats
Abstract
Abstract Background and objective The wheatgrass juice (WGJ) contains a high concentration of vitamin C. WGJ contains a lot of highly functional nutritive ingredients potent to unify the liver with the kidneys for detoxification of the organs and filtration of the blood to build a strong immune system. Also, it boosts fertility and increases sexual desire because of the high magnesium content in phytochemical pigment (chlorophyll) which boosts the production of the enzymes that restores sex steroids. Materials and methods The experimental animals were divided into 3 groups of 8 rats. The first group (G1) was fed on the standard normal diet. The same feeding was used also in the second group (G2) and third group (G3). But in the G2, a pharmaceutical formula (contain zinc and vitamin A) was used as a food supplement to increase fertility, and in the G3, wheatgrass juice of 11 mg/day was applied. Hunter L, a, and b values; glucose, fructose, and sucrose contents; pH; total soluble solids (TSS); acidity; concentration of vitamin C and vitamin B complex contents; and phenolic compounds of wheatgrass quality juice were measured. Results The juice samples showed L* value of 21.78 (as a lightness index), a* value of − 7.11 (as a redness index), b* values of 17.35 (as a yellowness index), pH (6.7), TSS (5°Bx), and acidity (0.00992%). In the same time, wheatgrass chlorophyll represents 70% of its total chemical constituents that is an antioxidant and rebuilds the bloodstream. In addition, it gives the juice its distinctive green color which is the major quality factor in juice products. The results amounted to normal values of vital organs such as the liver and kidney functions in all groups. The values of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were 27.88 ± 2.10, 22.50 ± 4.93, and 23.25 ± 4.71 μ/ml in G1, G2, and G3, respectively. Meanwhile, also the results of sexual hormones indicated an elevation in testosterone hormone in G3 (2.90 ± 0.26 ng/ml) than the normal negative control (2.78 ± 0.23 ng/ml) and pharmaceutical formula positive control (2.04 ± 0.40 ng/ml). However, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) decreased to 1.44 ± 0.28 IU/L and 1.45 ± 0.24 for G3 and G2, respectively, compared to 1.65 ± 0.23 IU/L in G1. Conclusion The findings proved that WGJ increased fertility and promoted youthfulness, and the wheatgrass (WG) has the potential to be used as a “functional herb” containing natural bioactive compounds.
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