Lannea velutina is a traditional herbal remedy used to treat various diseases, including hypertension (HBP). Herbal medicines are affordable, and some have minimal side effects; they are rich in bioactive components that encourage prevention and treatment. This work uses appropriate experimental paradigms to investigate the phytochemical composition, antioxidant activity, and acute oral toxicity of L. velutina trunk bark extracted in water, methanol, ethyl acetate, dichloromethane, and hexane. According to a high-performance thin-layer chromatography profile, this shrub's bark contains sterols, saponosides, flavonoids, and tannins. Compared to ethyl acetate and aqueous extracts, the methanol extract had the highest total phenolic (607.06 ± 0.6 mg GAE/g DW), flavonoid (20.97 ± 0.23 mg QE/g DW), and condensed tannins (194.50 ± 0.75 CE/g DW) content. The methanol extract displayed the highest antioxidant activity using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging capability assay (IC 50 = 8.59 g/mL; AAI = 4.66) compared to the other extracts. It exhibited antiradical action comparable to that of Trolox (IC 50 = 15.16 g/mL), ascorbic acid (IC 50 = 11.94 g/mL), and catechin (IC 50 = 11.64 g/mL). The connection between flavonoid concentration and hydro-How to cite this paper:

Introduction: Flemingia faginea, a Fabaceae family medicinal plant, has been used for a long time in Burkina Faso for the treatment of hypertension and excess salt. However, the safety of the preparations derived from this plant has not yet been scientifically documented. This study aimed to evaluate the acute and subacute oral toxicity of the leafy stems aqueous decoction of F. faginea (FAD) in healthy normotensive mice and rats and the impact on their normal blood pressure. Material and Methods: The acute oral toxicity study was conducted according to the toxicity class method of the Economic Cooperation and Development Organization (OECD) guideline 423. Subacute toxicity was carried out according to the OECD Guideline 407 for repeated dose chemical toxicity for 28 days. Hematological and biochemical analyzes of blood were performed after autopsy. An evaluation of the impact of the extract on the blood pressure of rats was performed using the non-invasive method. Results: A single oral dose of 2000 mg/kg bw to mice did not cause mortality or clinical signs or symptoms of toxicity during the 14-day study. The FAD was classified in the fifth category of the Harmonized System of Classification of the United Nations and considered practically safe with an estimated 50% lethal dose of 5000 mg/kg bw. Daily gavage of male and female rats with doses of 100,500 and 1000 mg/kg did not result in mortality or significant adverse effects during the 28days of experimentation. There were no significant differences in body weight gain, food &water consumption or relative vital organ weights in treated animals. Analysis of the hematological and biochemical parameters of blood serum did not show significant differences between treated and control animals in this study. Additionally, no aberrant changes were found in the systolic and diastolic blood pressures of the test animals during the 28 days of inclusion compared to those of the control group. Conclusion: The extract FAD could be considered safe within the doses tested for the results of the toxicological evaluation. However, microscopic, histopathological, and subchronic investigations will have to be carried out to confirm the safety of this extract use.

No abstract

Introduction: Oxidative stress, through the increased bioavailability of reactive oxygen species (ROS), is a major cause of hypertension. The resulting endothelial remodeling promotes the production of vasoconstrictor substances leading to an increase in blood pressure. This study aimed to evaluate the antioxidant and vasorelaxant properties of the decoction (PAD), ethyl acetate (EAP), and residual aqueous (ARP) fractions of immature Phaseolus vulgaris pods on NMRI mice thoracic aorta rings. Methods: Phytochemical screening was performed by high-performance thin-layer chromatography. Folin-Ciocalteu and aluminum trichloride colorimetric methods were used to quantify total polyphenol compounds (TPC) and total flavonoids (TFC), respectively. Antioxidant activities of the extracts were determined by 2,29-azinobis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic (ABTS●), 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH●), and ferric ion (FRAP) radical reduction methods. The DMT 620M ADInstruments myograph technique was used to evaluate the ex-vivo vasodilatory effects of Phaseolus vulgaris extracts on aortic rings. Results: Chromatographic fingerprints showed the presence of flavonoids, coumarins, tannins, steroids, triterpenes, and saponins in the extracts studied. The TPC (61.07±0.04 mgGAE/g) and TFC (6.16±0.03 mgQE/g) of EAP were statistically significant compared to that of PAD and ARP (p<0.001). The antioxidant power of Trolox was statistically significant compared to all studied extracts (p<0.05). It should be noted that among these extracts, EAP showed the better antiradical capacities for ABTS (IC50=71.87±0.30 µg/mL) and DPPH (IC50=9.93±0.00 µg/mL). However, for FRAP activity, it was the PAD extract (T=170.68±0.11 µgAAE/g) that obtained the best score. In terms of vasorelaxant activity, all extracts induced concentration-dependent relaxation of aortic rings precontracted with U46619. Pharmacodynamic parameters were significantly in favor of EAP [EAP(E+)=(Emax=100.06±0.00%; pD2=1.24±0.01) and EAP(E-)=(Emax=101.01±0.00%; pD2=0.84±0.02)] followed by PAD and then ARP. Conclusion: Phaseolus vulgaris immature pod extracts possess concentration-dependent vasorelaxant effects on isolated mouse aorta. These preliminaries results were scientific evidence to support the use of this plant in traditional and complementary medicine for the treatment of hypertension.