Evaluation of antihypertensive effect of Stellaria media and Beta vulgaris on Albino rats

David, Ephraim Haruna¹*, Choji, Solomon Samuel², Ezeonu, Chukwuma Stephen¹ and Yakubu, Ojochenemi E¹.
Page No. 39-49

This study was carried out to evaluateanti-hypertensive effect of aqueous extracts of Beta vulgaris (BV) (bulb) and Stellaria media (SM)(leaf) onAlbino rats. Fifty-five Albino rats were used and randomly distributed into eleven (11) groups of 5 animals each. Hypertension was induced in animals using 18% sodium chloride (NaCl) orally at the dose of 10 ml/kg. The animals were treated for 28 days before they were sacrificed. Under chloroform anaesthesia blood samples were collected in a plain tube from jugular vein for analysis. The mean blood pressure (BP) values on day 1 for both systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in all groups were not significantly (p>0.05) lower. As the treatments continued to day 28, SBP (119.67±1.15mmHg) and DBP (78.68±2.08mmHg) lowering effect of the extracts was the highest in group 10 (rat administered 300mg/kg BV + 150mg/kg SM) which was significantly (p<0.05) lower from other groups, followed by group 6 (rats administered 450mg/kg BV) with SBP (120.33±0.577mmHg) and DBP (81.67±1.53mmHg). The BP lowering effect of the extracts were dosage and duration dependent with high dosage of BV giving the best BP lowering effect. High blood pressure inhibition may be associated with the presence of some phytochemicals in the extract such as Alkaloid, flavonoid and phenolics. The study showed that Stellaria media and Beta vulgaris extract were able to inhibit the development of hypertension. Different combinations and high single dosage administration of the different extracts at a given duration (28 days) gave desirable results in BP assays.
Keywords: Hypertension, Blood pressure, Stellaria media, Beta vulgaris, phytochemicals