Plants with Hypotensive, Antiatheromatous and Coronarodilatating Action

Abstract

However great the success in the therapy of hypertension, atherosclerosis and ischemic heart disease has been gained today by recent efficient drugs, the definite healing of patients is not yet attained. The late discovery of reserpine, such an efficient drug of plant origin against hypertension, convinced so far reluctant scientists to consider the chemical compounds of the plant world. With respect to this traditional medical knowledge, it seems necessary to define more accurately the specificity of these healings-sometimes recommended unspecifically for a whole branch of medicine. This experimental verification should not use inconsiderately the present-day classification of diseases; there should be an awareness that conventional experimental methods in pharmacology are often unsuitable for revealing the real biological activity of one or another medicinal plant. The interest in the millennial empirical field of health care is acknowledged by the World Health Organization which promotes research and development of traditional medicine, along with investigations into its psychosocial and ethnographic aspects. These studies cover a number of plants growing in Bulgaria that have a healing effect in hypertension, atherosclerosis and ischemic heart disease according to the data of traditional medicine. Using screening methods, extracts and chemically pure substances were investigated; extraction was done with solvents such as water, ether, chloroform, dichloretan, ethanol, methanol, and acetone. Most of the experiments were carried out on anesthetized cats, rabbits and dogs. The substances tested were applied mainly intravenously, and in some experiments orally. Chronic experiments were also carried out on wakeful dogs with induced hypertension, on animals fed on an atherogenic diet, and on animals with induced arrhythmia and coronary spasm. Data are presented of clinical examination of some plants or of active substances isolated from them. Major results of these studies are presented for the following plants: Garlic, Geranium; Hellebore; Mistletoe; Olive; Valerian; Hawthorn; Pseucedanum arenarium; Periwinkle; Fumitory. For another 50 plants growing in Bulgaria and in other countries the author presents his and other investigators' experimental and clinical data about hypotensive, antiatheromatous and coronarodilatating action.

A Rethinking on the Benefits and Drawbacks of Common Antioxidants and a Proposal to Look for the Antioxidants in Allium Products as Ideal Agents: A Review

“…In yet another study in Germany [56], on administration of garlic powder to 24 hypertensive patients for 3 months, their supine diastolic blood pressure fell by 11% and their standing systolic pressure fell by 12% as compared to non significant fall in a control of 23 patients. Similar results were obtained by Petkov in Russia also [57]. Onion and garlic organic sulfides can combine with NO and enhance vasodialation and reduce hypertension in mammals according to Ku et al [58] and Schwartz et al [37].…”

“…The results show that garlic extract (250 lg/ml) acts as a growth suppressor for potentially immortal, cancerous and rapidly dividing cells owing to the increased sensitivity of such cells to garlic principles. Normal human skin fibroblasts grown in the presence of 100 and 250 lg/ml garlic extract could be specially passaged for [55][56][57][58][59][60][61][62][63][64][65][66] in about 475 days before they die. This is the first experiment in which an external agent prolonged the life span of cells to such an extent.…”

To study the hypotensive and hypolipidemic effects of garlic in smokers in the North Indian population

“…18 Pektov (1979) has also cited several studies, which indicated that garlic and its extracts exhibit antihypertensive activity. 19 No substantial alterations were observed in pulse rate and systolic BP, when compared with control.…”

Antioxidant and Free Radical Scavenging Activity of Different Fractions from Hawthorn Fruit

“…The extracts from hawthorn fruit are clinically effective in reducing blood pressure and total plasma cholesterol (14), and treating indigestion and retention of food due to improper diet or excessive intake of greasy food or meat. Some studies have established that hawthorn fruits are rich in proanthocyanidins and flavonoids (15)(16)(17). Such polyphenolic compounds can improve human health by reducing oxidative stress and providing activity associated with anti-cancer, anti-allergic, and anti-inflammatory effects (18,19).…”