Pharmacological evaluation of Euphorbia hirta, Fagonia indica and Capparis decidua in hypertension through in-vivo and in vitro-assays

Muhammad Zeeshan Ali; Malik Hassan Mehmood; Muhammad Saleem; Muhammad Sajid Hamid Akash; Abdul Malik

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e08094

Pharmacological evaluation of Euphorbia hirta, Fagonia indica and Capparis decidua in hypertension through in-vivo and in vitro-assays

Heliyon. 2021 Sep 30;7(10):e08094. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e08094. eCollection 2021 Oct.

Authors

Muhammad Zeeshan Ali¹, Malik Hassan Mehmood¹, Muhammad Saleem², Muhammad Sajid Hamid Akash³, Abdul Malik⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
² College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacology, University of Punjab Old Campus, Lahore, Pakistan.
³ Department Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Government College University Faisalabad (GCUF), Pakistan.
⁴ College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacology, University of Sargodha, Pakistan.

Abstract

Objective: This study determines the efficacy and probable underlying mode of action to the folk usage of Euphorbia hirta, Fagonia indica and Capparis decidua in hypertension.

Methods: The aqueous-methanol extracts of E. hirta (EH.Cr), F. indica (FI.Cr) and C. decidua (CD.Cr) were tested for antihypertensive effects in rats using non-invasive and in-vasive blood pressure measuring apparatus. In-vitro assays were carried out using isolated rat aortae using PowerLab station.

Results: EH.Cr, FI.Cr and CD.Cr at 500 mg/kg (orally) caused a fall in the mean systolic blood pressure in arsenic-induced hypertensive and normotensive rats, similar to nifedipine. In rat aortae, EH.Cr, CD.Cr and FI.Cr reversed low (20 mM), high (80 mM) K⁺ and phenylephrine (P.E)-driven contractions, while F. indica partially inhibited high K⁺ contractions. In the presence of TEA, F. indica remained unable to relax low K⁺ contractions. EH.Cr and CD.Cr moved Ca⁺⁺ concentrations response curves to the right, like nifedipine. All fractions of EH.Cr and CD.Cr except aqueous, pet-ether and chloroform fractions of FI.Cr displayed Ca⁺⁺ antagonistic activity. FI.Cr, its ethyl acetate and aqueous fraction exhibited TEA-sensitive potassium channel activation. On baseline tension, test materials also produced phentolamine-sensitive vasospasm.

Conclusion: E. hirta, F. indica and C. decidua possess antihypertensive activity in arsenic-induced hypertensive rats possibly mediated via endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation. In normotensive rats, E. hirta and C. decidua showed antihypertensive activities through endothelium-dependent and Ca⁺⁺ antagonistic pathways, while F. indica exhibited potassium channel activation and Ca⁺⁺ antagonistic like effects in its vasorelaxation. Additional weaker vasospastic effects were derived through α-adrenergic like pathways.

Keywords: Antihypertensive; Ca++ antagonist; Capparis decidua; Euphorbia hirta; Fagonia indica; Potassium channel activation.