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Effect of Aqueous Leaf Extract of Tridax Procumbens On Blood Pressure and Heart Rate in Rats
Effect of Aqueous Leaf Extract of Tridax Procumbens On Blood Pressure and Heart Rate in Rats
7 (2004); 27 - 29
ISSN 1119 – 5096 © Ibadan Biomedical Communications Group
The Cardiovascular effects of aqueous extract from the leaf of Tridax procumbens were
investigated on anaesthetized Sprague-Dawley rat. The intravenous administration of 3, 6,
and 9mg/Kg of the aqueous extract caused significant decreases in the mean arterial blood
pressure in a dose-related manner; i.e. the extract caused greater decrease in the mean
arterial blood pressure at higher dose than at lower dose. Also, higher doses of the extract-
6mg/Kg and 9mg/Kg caused significant reductions in the heart rate while lower dose of the
extract- 3mg/Kg did not cause any significant change in the heart rate. The hypotensive and
the bradycardiac effects were immediate. The hypotensive effect of Tridax procumbens was
inhibited by the pretreatment of the animal with atropine sulfate (1mg/kg). These results
therefore seem to support the claim that the leaves of Tridax procumbens has hypotensive
effect and that the mechanism of its action is possibly through activation of muscarinic
cholinergic receptors.
blending and macerating 500g of the air-dried statistical significance by using students t-test,
leaves of Tridax procumbens with 100ml of 0.9% value of p equal or less than 0.05 were taken to
0
(w/v) Nacl solution and kept at 40 C for 24 hours imply statistical significance.
for extraction to take place. The resulting mixture
was filtered and the extract recovered from the RESULTS
filtration by evaporation under reduced pressure In normal anesthetized rat the intravenous
0
in a Rotavapor with water bath set at 40 C. The injection of aqueous extracts of Tridax
resulting residue was weighed and reconstituted procumbens (3, 6 and 9mg/kg) produced an
in 0.9% (w/v) Nacl solution to a final almost immediate and significant reduction in
concentration of 2.2g/ml and kept wet-frozen in mean arterial blood pressure (p<0.05). The
ampoules until ready for use. hypotensive effects and duration were dose-
dependent as shown in Table 1. Higher doses of
Drugs:- The drugs used were: Urethane, alpha the extract (6 and 9mg/kg) produced a more
chloralose, heparin, adrenaline, acetylcholine and significant decrease in blood pressure.
atropine sulfate. All drugs were purchased from
sigma. Table 1:
Changes in mean arterial blood pressure (MABP)
Experimental Procedure: Adult male albinos following intravenous injection of different doses
Sprague – Dawley rats weighing between 200- of aqueous extract of Tridax procumbens.
350g were used. The animals were housed in a Extract Dose Reduction in Duration:
cage in an environmentally controlled room at 21- (mg/kg) MABP (mmHg) (seconds)
24ºC with free access to standard food and
water. Saline -2.0± 2.3
On the day of the experiment the rats were 3.0 - 28.8± 3.0+ 38.3± 4.6
anaesthetized with a 50:50 mixture of 25%
urethane and 1% alpha chloralose at a dose 6.0 - 35.0± 4.8* 46.7± 4.0
5ml/kg per body weight. The rat was dissected to 9.0 - 44.5± 5.7* 62.2± 6.2
expose the trachea. The trachea was cannulated
for clear airway and spontaneous respiration. Value represent the mean ± SEM (n=8)
Reduction in MABP is the maximum changes in mean
The femoral artery and vein were exposed
arterial blood pressure following the injection of the
and cannulated using polythene catheters (3FG aqueous extract.
outer diameter 0.7mm and 15cm long). The MABPs of rats before each injection were 130.5
femoral artery was connected to a pressure ±2.2.mmHg (n=8) * (P<0.01), + (P< 0.05).
transducer and physiograph for pressure
recording while the vein was used for injection of TABLE 2:
drugs and plant extracts. After cannulation, the Changes in the heart rate following intravenous
rats were injected with heparin, 600u/kg per body injection of aqueous extract of leaf of Tridax
weight to prevent blood clotting. procumbens
After 30 min period of equilibration the rats Extract Heart rate Reduction in
were injected with 0.1-0.5ml saline (Nacl 0.9%) or Dose (beats/min.) Heart rate %
with the same volume of aqueous extracts of (mg/kg)
Tridax procumbens, the arterial blood pressure Saline 369.6± 6.6
was allowed to return to the resting level between
injections. The changes in blood pressure before 3.0 306.6± 15.4* 17.0
and the lowest blood pressure after injection were 6.0 235.0± 27.6** 36.0
noted. The heart rate was measured using a
cardiac transducer model 7082 to polygraphic two 9.0 160.0± 13.6** 56.7
channel recorder model 7070 of Ugo Basile Italy. Values represent mean ± SEM (n=8); *p<0.05, **
The possible interaction between the p<0.01
hypotensive action of Tridax procumbens extracts
and cholinergic and adrenergic systems was Aqueous extract of Tridax procumbens also
studied by injecting the aqueous extracts reduced significantly the heart rate of rats at
immediately after treatment with different doses doses of 6mg/Kg and 9mg/Kg. However, a lower
of the muscarinic receptor blocker atropine (1- dose of 3mg/Kg did not cause any significant
6mg/kg) or immediately before treatment with the change in the heart rate (Table 2)
appropriate agonist acetylcholine (2ug/kg) or The interaction of the extract with adrenaline
adrenaline (2ug/kg) did not produce any significant effect on arterial
blood pressure and heart rate. However,
Statistics: The results are presented as mean pretreatment of the rat with atropine before
standard error of the mean (SEM). The injection of Tridax procumbens extract
difference of means values were assessed for
26 Cardiovascular effects of aqueous extract from the leaf of Tridax procumbens
African Journal of Biomedical Research 2004 (Vol. 7) / Salahdeen, Yemitan and Alada
significantly prevented the hypotensive effect of In conclusion, the results of this study seem
the extract (Table 3). to support the traditional claim that the leaf of
Tridax procumbens has blood pressure lowering
TABLE 3: effect and this is probably mediated through
Effects of cholinergic and adrenergic agents on activation of muscarinic cholinergic receptors.
the hypotensive action of aqueous extract of
Tridax procumbens Acknowledgement: The authors would like to thank
Treatment Change in Mr. B.A. Murtala for his technical assistance.
MABP (mmHg)
Extract alone (6mg/kg) -35.6± 4.8 REFERENCES
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