Evaluation of Antihypertensive Effect of Fruit Beverage of Crataegus crenulata Roxb. : A wild Shrub of Himalayan Hills

Morphological and biochemical studies of Crataegus crenulata syn. Pyracantha crenulata fruits have been carried out and an herbal formulation was prepared from its fruit juice. The small sized berries weighing 250 mg each and 4000±32 fruits in 1kg weight contain 25% fruit juice. Biochemical analysis of fruit juice quantified flavonoides content (2-3%), Vitamin ‘A’ (289 IU/ 100g), vitamin B 12 (110 µg/100g), Vitamin ‘C’ (57.8mg/100g), Vitamin ‘E’ (289mg/100g) protein (1.6%), calcium (3.79 mg/100g), magnesium (1.38 mg/100g), and potassium (1.39mg/100g). The present study was designed to investigate the efficacy of the herbal formulation from C. crenulata fruits in two forms of experimental hypertension: cadmium chloride induced and in normotensive control in animal module. Since the blood pressure fells down independently in the hypertensive and normotensive rats, the study strongly suggested C. crenulata possesses anti-hypertensive or hypotensive effects.