Lovely G. Silva (March 2009)
Philippine Science High School Western Visayas Campus – Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PSHS WVC), Brgy. Bito-on, Jaro, Iloilo City 5000, Philippines
ABSTRACT
Other countries have discovered the potentials of grasses as sources of vitamin K such as wheatgrass, but grasses found in the Philippines are not that studied especially for their use as sources of vitamin K.
The study’s objective was to measure and compare the Prothrombin Time of chicks Gallus gallus before and after a two-week diet (a) supplemented with extract of Axonopus compressus, (b) supplemented with vitamin K and (c) without Vitamin K supplementation.
There were three replicates. Forty-five day-old chicks were used in the whole study, fifteen chicks each replicate. After one week, the chicks were divided into three groups: five were given with carabao grass supplement; five were given with vitamin K supplement; and five were given diet without Vitamin K supplement. The chicks were subjected to Prothrombin Time Test before and after giving the treatments.
The mean prothrombin time of chicks before and after a two-week diet supplemented with extract of carabao grass (Axonopus compressus) was 276.250 ± 162.1286 and 237.000 ± 55.6507 seconds respectively. The mean prothrombin time of chicks before and after a two-week diet supplemented with vitamin K was 366.167 ± 59.46918 and 147.500 ± 17.32051 seconds respectively. And, the mean prothrombin time of chicks given a diet without vitamin K treatment was 183.33 ± 50.55278 and 277.167 ± 100.688 seconds respectively.
Dependent t-test (a=0.05) showed no significant difference in the mean prothrombin time of the chicks given with carabao grass extract and without vitamin K supplement. However, there was a significant difference in the prothrombin time of chicks with vitamin K-supplement. Therefore, the Prothrombin Time of chicks (Gallus gallus) did not change after a two-week diet supplemented with extract of carabao grass (Axonopus compressus).