In vitro antacid screening of the aqueous and ethanolic leaf extracts of Triticum aestivum (Linn.) and Hordeum vulgare (Linn.)

Abstract

Triticum aestivum L. (wheat grass) and Hordeum vulgare L. (barley grass) are functional foods with numerous pharmacological properties. Crude aqueous and ethanolic leaf extracts of T. aestivum L. (wheat grass) and H. vulgare L. (barley grass) were screened for in vitro antacid activity using the preliminary antacid test, determination of acid neutralization capacity, acid neutralizing effect, duration of consistent neutralization, and buffering capacity. Results of the preliminary antacid test showed that the aqueous extracts had better antacid potential than the ethanolic extracts. Among the extracts, T. aestivum aqueous extract exhibited the most potent in vitro antacid activity, with acid neutralization capacity of 0.0763±0.0028 mmol H+, acid neutralizing effect 0.043±0.006 ΔpH, duration of neutralization 22±1.732 min, and buffering capacity of 0.0801±0.0331 mmol H+/ΔpH. Alkaloid content of each extract was also determined gravimetrically; the T. aestivum ethanolic extract had the highest amounts of alkaloids (16.8518 ± 2.5368%). This study provides proof of the antacid activities of ethanolic and aqueous extracts of T. aestivum and H. vulgare, with the aqueous T. aestivum extract the most active.