The effect of pomegranate juice, lemon juice and secanjabin in reducing infra-cardiac activity of 99mTc-MIBI during myocardial perfusion imaging in comparison with fatty food

Eating fatty food is a common technique for decreasing extra cardiac activity, but sometimes patients refuse to eat fatty foods due to various reasons during myocardial perfusion imaging. The aim of this study is to introduce an alternative method for patients who are not able to use fatty foods to accelerate the transit of radiotracer from the liver. A total of 100 patients were randomized into four groups to take 200 cc of lemon juice, 200 cc of pomegranate juice, 200 cc of secanjabin, and 100 mg of fatty meal, 10 min after injection of 20 mCi 99mTc-MIBI, respectively in groups A, B, C, and D. The study is carried out in both rest and stress imaging at 30 and 50 min post-injection. Using ROI- based analysis, means of activity counts in heart and liver and, then the mean of heart/liver (H/L) ratios were calculated. According to data analysis of both rest and stress imaging at min 30 and 50, A and D groups had significantly higher H/L ratio than groups B and C. Comparing the images of groups in both rest and stress protocol at minutes 30 and 50, A and D groups had significantly higher H/L ratio at 50 minutes in comparison with 30 minutes. In patients who refrain from eating fatty foods, drinking of diluted lemon juice may be recommended as a simple technique and the best alternative to decrease extra-cardiac activity and increase the H/L ratio.