COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF THE HYPOTENSIVE EFFECTS OF THE SEED AND LEAF EXTRACTS OF MORINGA OLEIFERA LAM (Moringaceae) IN LABORATORY ANIMALS

📄 Project Abstract

Moringa oleifera is locally used in Nigeria for the management of respiratory disorders, hypertension and poor blood circulation among other ailments. However, all parts of the plant are blindly used because the exact part of this plant and / or extractive solvent that provides the best of its cardiovascular or optimum hypotensive activity has not been reported. The impetus of this research work therefore is to compare the crude extracts of the leaf and seed of Moringa oleifera in their two solvent forms respectively, aqueous and methanol for the leaf; and methanol and pet-ether for the seed, since the seed is very oily for aqueous extraction. The phytochemical constituents of the leaf and seed extracts of Moringa oleifera were determined. The effect of Moringa oleifera leaf and seed extracts on cat blood pressure and guinea pig heart atria were investigated. Intravenous injection of drugs and test solutions injected through the femoral vein into a cannulated artery was used to investi...