Abstract
- Background
Wheat and barley grasses are freshly sprouted leaves originating from cereal seeds and serve as rich dietary sources of phytochemicals. Environmental growth conditions, particularly thermal regulation during cultivation, critically impact plant metabolism, biomass accumulation, and the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. This study investigated the effects of distinct day and night temperature regimes on the growth parameters, bioactive compound accumulation, and overall antioxidant potential of both wheat and barley grasses.
- Methods
Wheat and barley grasses were cultivated in organic growing mediums within controlled growth chambers set to three distinct day and night temperature regimes: 10/5 °C, 20/15 °C, and 30/25 °C. Cultivation was maintained under standardized conditions comprising a 12-hour light and 12-hour dark photoperiod, a light intensity of 150 micromoles of photons per square meter per second, and 60% relative humidity for a duration of 8 days. Following harvest, plant growth parameters—including height, weight, and yield—alongside bioactive compound concentrations, radical scavenging activities, and antioxidant enzyme levels were systematically measured.
- Results
Optimal growth parameters, including height, weight, and overall yield, peaked under the 20/15 °C temperature condition for both cereal grasses, whereas the lowest growth metrics were recorded at the cooler 10/5 °C regime. Conversely, the cooler growth temperature of 10/5 °C significantly enhanced the accumulation of bioactive compounds, including total phenols, total flavonoids, and total vitamin C. Furthermore, the low-temperature treatment upregulated antioxidant enzyme activities—such as guaiacol peroxidase, catalase, and glutathione reductase—and increased radical scavenging capacities evaluated via 2,2-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl assays.
- Conclusions
Proper management of growth temperature conditions provides an efficient strategy to modulate the nutritional profile of wheat and barley grasses, allowing for the targeted enhancement of bioactive compounds and antioxidant potential to maximize dietary health benefits.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8619051/