Chemical, nutritional and phenolic composition of wheatgrass and pulse shoots

Chemical, nutritional and antiradical properties of juice and shoot powder from wheatgrass and pulses were evaluated. Wheatgrass powder (WP) showed higher radical scavenging capacity, ash and chlorophyll content and lower protein content as compared to pulse powder (PP). Wheatgrass (WJP) juice powder had significantly higher K and Mg content as compared to pulse juice powder (PJP). Powders with relatively higher K and Mg content had higher radical scavenging capacity and chlorophyll content. Vanillic acid was present only in free form in both WP and PP. Luteolin was equally distributed in acid- and base-bound form; sinapic acid was higher in base-bound fraction; and protocatechuic acid was higher in acid-bound form in both the sources. Positive correlations were found between radical scavenging capacity and ferulic acid and sinapic acid, whereas radical scavenging capacity was negatively correlated with gallic acid and p-coumaric acid. WJP had higher glutamic acid, histidine, threonine, citrulline, arginine, gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA) and leucine as compared to PJP. The present study highlights the nutritional benefits of wheatgrass juice.