P-2: Antihypertensive properties of Bryophyllum pinnatum {(Lam) Oken} leaf extracts

Black Africans are characterized by an increased prevalence of essential hypertension (EH). Several studies have shown that extractives from many plants are useful for the management and/or control of high blood pressure (hypertension). The aim of this study was to evaluate the antihypertensive efficacy of leaf extracts of Bryophyllum pinnatum (Lam) Oken [family: Crassulaceae], a plant commonly employed in the management of all types and grades of hypertension by some Yorubas of Western Nigeria. The effects of aqueous and methanolic leaf extracts of the herb were examined on arterial blood pressures and heart rates of normal(normotensive) and spontaneously hypertensive rats, using invasive and non-invasive techniques. Both the aqueous and methanolic leaf extracts of B. pinnatum (BP, 50-800 mg/kg i.v. or i.p.)produced dose-related, significant (P