Preparation of Wheat Germ Extract and Its Proliferative Activity on Cells

To achieve deep processing and high-value utilization of wheat germ, this study prepared wheat germ extract (WGE) and analyzed its effects on cell proliferation activity. This study prepared WGE using a wheat germ cell-free protein synthesis system. The major components of WGE were further analyzed by LC-MS/MS and HPGPC. Additionally, the growth-promoting effects of WGE on RAW264.7 cells and PC12 cells were investigated. The molecular mechanism underlying its pro-proliferative effect was explored using low-serum cell culture conditions and Western blotting. The results indicated that WGE is rich in proteins and polysaccharides. Among the proteins, those involved in protein synthesis regulation and exhibiting oxidoreductase activity were predominant. The primary monosaccharide components of the polysaccharides were galactose and glucose. WGE exhibited pro-proliferative effects on both RAW264.7 and PC12 cells. Under extremely low serum concentrations, WGE effectively ameliorated growth arrest in both cell types. Treatment with 160 µg/mL WGE increased the proliferation activity of RAW264.7 cells by 29.26% and PC12 cells by 29.05%. Additionally, WGE promoted cell proliferation by upregulating the expression of Ki67 and Cyclin-D1 proteins in both cell lines. These findings demonstrated that WGE can function as a natural, functional cell growth promoter. This study provides a theoretical foundation for the nutraceutical and functional applications of wheat germ.