Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) Fruit and Combination with Losartan Attenuate the Elevation of Blood Pressure in Hypertensive Rats Induced by Angiotensin II

Tomi Hendrayana; Klaudia Yoana; I Ketut Adnyana; Elin Yulinah Sukandar

doi:10.3831/KPI.2023.26.4.298

Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) Fruit and Combination with Losartan Attenuate the Elevation of Blood Pressure in Hypertensive Rats Induced by Angiotensin II

J Pharmacopuncture. 2023 Dec 31;26(4):298-306. doi: 10.3831/KPI.2023.26.4.298.

Authors

Tomi Hendrayana¹, Klaudia Yoana¹, I Ketut Adnyana¹, Elin Yulinah Sukandar²

Affiliations

¹ Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy Research Group, School of Pharmacy, Bandung Institute of Technology, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia.
² Faculty of Pharmacy, General Achmad Yani University, Cimahi, West Java, Indonesia.

Abstract

Objectives: Cucumis sativus L. (C. sativus) is vegetable commonly used for managing blood pressure and often consumed in combination with standard antihypertensive therapy, despite lack of scientific evidence supporting their use. Combination of herbs and standard medication could have positive or negative effects. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the antihypertensive activity of C. sativus and the combined effect with losartan in the hypertensive rat model induced by angiotensin II. Angiotensin II is a component of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system that, upon binding to its receptor, constricts blood vessels leading to elevation of blood pressure.

Methods: In an antihypertensive study, rats received C. sativus orally at doses of 9, 18, 27, and 36 mg/kg (full dose); while in a combination study, animals received losartan 2.25 mg/kg combined by either with C. sativus 9 or 18 mg/kg. The standards group received losartan 2.25 mg/kg or 4.5 mg/kg (full dose).

Results: Blood pressure was measured using the tail-cuff method. C. sativus significantly attenuated angiotensin II-induced hypertension as observed in groups receiving C. sativus at 9, 18, 27, and 36 mg/kg at 30 minutes after induction showed the average change (Δ) of systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) with respect to time zero were 28.8/18.3, 24.8/15.8, 22.8/15.5, and 11.5/9.0 mmHg, respectively. Whereas the average change (Δ) of SBP and DBP in the rats receiving the combination of half doses of C. sativus and losartan were 8.8/9.0 mmHg, respectively. These diminished effects were better than a full dose of C. sativus and comparable with a full dose of losartan (6.5/7.8 mmHg).

Conclusion: The present findings indicate that C. sativus dose-dependently blocks blood pressure elevation induced by angiotensin II. The combination of half dose of C. sativus and losartan has an additive effect in lowering blood pressure.

Keywords: Cucumis sativus L; antihypertensive; herb-losartan interaction; natural remedy; traditional medicinal plant.

Grants and funding

FUNDING This work was supported in part by the 2019 Research, Community Services and Innovation Funding Scheme (P3MI) of Bandung Institute of Technology, Grant No 048.2/11.C03/PKS/2019 and Indonesian Ministry of Research and Technology / National Research and Innovation Agency, Grant No. 2/EI/KP.PTNBH/2021.