No abstract

Leersia hexandra (L. hexandra) is used in traditional medicine to treat many diseases including hypertension. This study aimed to evaluate the curative effects of the aqueous extract of L. hexandra on hypertension. Hypertension was induced in rats by oral administration of ethanol (5 g/kg/day) for five weeks. The animals were divided into 2 groups: one group of 5 rats receiving distilled water (10 mL/kg) and another group of 20 rats receiving ethanol. At the end of the 5 weeks of administration of ethanol, the animals were divided into 4 groups of 5 rats each: one group of hypertensive rats receiving distilled water (10 mL/kg), another one receiving nifedipine (10 mg/kg), and two groups of hypertensive rats receiving L. hexandra at doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg, respectively. The results showed that ethanol induced a significant increase in the mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate of normotensive rats. The administration of the extract (100 and 200 mg/kg) or nifedipine caused a significant decrease of MAP compared to hypertensive rats. Ethanol induced a significant increase of lipid profile, the atherogenic index, creatinine, and transaminase activities. Ethanol also induced a significant decrease in serum HDL-cholesterol and antioxidant markers evaluated. Treatment of hypertensive rats with L. hexandra or nifedipine significantly improved lipid profile, hepatic and renal functions, and antioxidant status. The curative effect of L. hexandra extract on hypertension is probably related to its antihypertensive, hypolipidemic, and antioxidant activities, which justifies its empirical use in the treatment of hypertension.

High blood pressure (HBP) is currently one of the main risk factors for cardiovascular and kidney diseases. Nowadays, populations make extensive use of alternative medicine for their health problems. Bidens pilosa (B. pilosa) and Cymbopogon citratus (C. citratus) are used individually in the traditional treatment of cardiovascular disorders. This study assessed the effects of the mixture of these two plants aqueous extract on HBP in rats. Male rats (42) were divided into 7 groups of 6 rats each. Normotensive rats received only distilled water and formed group 1. The other animals received ethanol + salt preceded by distilled water (10 mL/kg; group 2) and spironolactone (10 mg/kg; group 3); the aqueous extracts of the mixture (100 and 200 mg/kg; groups 4 and 5) isolated plants B. pilosa (200 mg/kg; group 6) and C. citratus (200 mg/kg; group 7). Animals were treated for 7 weeks during which water consumption and urine volume were assessed; then, hemodynamic parameters were recorded, and rats were sacrificed. Serum and some organs (liver, kidney, heart, and aorta) were used to evaluate biochemical parameters. Ingestion of ethanol + salt leads to a significant increase in urinary volume and water intake that were significantly prevented by the extracts from the mixture and isolated plants. Ethanol + salt solution significantly increased the blood pressure, heart rate, triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-chol), very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-chol), atherogenic indices, liver and kidney function parameters, and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. However, the levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-chol), albumin, reduced glutathione (GSH), catalase, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were significantly reduced. The extracts of the mixture and isolated plants significantly prevented all these variations with a more pronounced action for the lowest dose of the mixture on the lipid profile, oxidative stress, and kidney function. These observations confirm the beneficial effects of B. pilosa and C. citratus to manage hypertension.

Bidens pilosa (B. pilosa) and Cymbopogon citratus (C. citratus) are plants used individually or in combination in the traditional treatment of several ailments such as cardiovascular disorders. In order to valorise their traditional use, a toxicological study was conducted on the aqueous extract of the mixture of aerial parts of B. pilosa and C. citratus. The acute and subchronic toxicity studies were conducted according to the OECD 425 and 407 guidelines. Regarding the acute study, the aqueous extract of the mixture of B. pilosa and C. citratus 50 : 50 (2000 and 5000 mg/kg) was administered once to rats of both sexes. In the subchronic study, the aqueous extract of the mixture of B. pilosa and C. citratus (200, 400 and 800 mg/kg) was administered once daily to rats for 28 days. The aqueous extract of the mixture of B. pilosa and C. citratus (2000 and 5000 mg/kg) did not cause death and did not induce any apparent sign of toxicity during the 14 days of observation. The DL50 of the extract is therefore greater than 5000 mg/kg. Taken daily for 28 days, the extract had no significant effect on selected parameters (creatinine, AST, ALT, urea, and uric acid) of renal and hepatic function, as well as on the number of some blood cells. However, the aqueous extract of the mixture of B. pilosa and C. citratus (200 and 400 mg/kg) caused a significant ( p   <   0.05 ; p   <   0.001 , respectively) decrease in creatinine levels in male rats as compared to normal control animals. In females, the aqueous extract of the mixture of B. pilosa and C. citratus (200 and 400 mg/kg) resulted in a significant ( p   <   0.05 ) increase in total cholesterol levels as compared to normal control animals. The study showed that the aqueous extract of the mixture of B. pilosa and C. citratus has a low toxicity and does not cause any injury to the liver, kidney, lungs, or spleen.

Background and Aim: Cardiovascular complications are the main cause of morbidity and mortality in hypertensive diabetic patients. They develop due to microvasculopathy, myocardial hypertrophy and cardiac fibrosis. In the present study, the activity of aqueous extract of Erythrina senegalensis on cardiovascular complications in diabetic hypertensive rats was evaluated. Experimental Procedure: The model of hypertensive diabetic rats was obtained by daily oral administration of sucrose (15%) and 40° ethanol at doses of 1.5 and 5 g/kg respectively for six weeks, followed by an intravenous injection of streptozotocin (35 mg/kg). After four weeks of complications, the diabetic hypertensive rats were divided into six groups of 5 animals each, and received the different treatments for four weeks where blood glucose level was taken weekly. At the end of the treatments, the animals were anaesthetised and the arterial pressures and electrocardiograph were recorded by the direct method. Then the aorta and heart were removed for biochemical calorimetric analysis and histological evaluation. Results and Conclusion: In the diabetic hypertensive animals the results showed chronic hyperglycaemia associated with high blood pressure. On the electrocardiogram there was a cardiac arrhythmia manifested by a significant decrease in the duration of the PR, QRS, RR, QTc segments, ST interval, P, QRS and T waves, a decrease in the amplitude of the QRS and T waves. There was a significant increase in total cholesterol, triglyceride atherogenic index and a decrease in HDL-cholesterol with a change in the cardiac ionogram and oxidative status in the aorta and heart. The different treatments improved these parameters and cardiovascular function. These results suggest that the extract of E. senegalensis by the presence of several bioactive compounds would possess cardioprotective, hypoglycaemic, hypotensive and antioxidant properties.