Antihypertensive effects of the aqueous extract leaves of celtis durandii engler (ulmaceae) on rat

Abstract

Celtis durandii (Ulmaceae), one of the plants used in traditional medicine to cure migraine, epilepsy, and high blood pressure was evaluated for antihypertensive activity in normotensive rats (NTR) and hypertensive saline rats (HSR), by the invasive method. Results indicated that C. durandii induce a decreased blood pressure after administration of the extract. This sudden decrease is followed by a slight increase, and then by an antihypertensive late activity of the extract that lasts for one hour. At a dose of 35 mg /kg, the antihypertensive late activity of C. durandii extract was 40% in NTR and 36% in HSR. The urinary excretion of Na+ increased by 513 % and 913%, respectively, in NTR and HSR at dose of 300 mg/kg while that of K+ increased by 82 % and 212% in the same animals at same dose. The results suggest that C durandii possesses an antihypertensive activity that could result from its diuretic effects. This activity could be explained by decrease of surrounding resistances.

Key words:

Celtis durandii, blood pressure, diuretic, rat.