EVALUATION OF THE HYPOTENSIVE PROPERTIES OF MORINGA OLEIFERASEEDS

The management of hypertension poses a challenge in both the developing and developed countries. However, the disease is more prevalent in the developing countries where poverty, illiteracy and poor nutrition combine to exacerbate the condition. The study was carried out to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo hypotensive properties of the ethanolic extract of Moringa oleifera Lam. (Moringaceae) seeds. The oscillographic technique was employed on guinea pig ileum and a live cat to evaluate the antihypertensive properties of the extract. In the in vitro relaxation studies, the extract induced contraction on the ileum in a dose-dependent manner; extract doses of 1, 2 and 4 mg mL-1 induced responses (mm) of 2.32 ± 0.46, 4.50 ± 0.46 and 7.52 ± 0.56 respectively, compared to the control value of 1.42 ± 0.42 induced by 2µg/ml of acetylcholine. In the in vivo studies, the extract significantly reduced the mean arterial blood pressure (mm Hg) of an anaesthesized normotensive cat from a control value of 116 ± 6.33 (when normal saline was administered) to 80 ± 3.30, 50 ± 3.70 ± 3.10 and 52 ± 6.60 at doses of 10, 20 and 40 mg ml-1 respectively. These findings corroborate the use of M. oleifera seed as an antihypertensive agent in ethno-medicine.