EFFECTS OF PERSEA AMERICANA SEED FLOUR AND LEAF EXTRACT OF TALINUM TRIANGULARE ON HYPERTENSION INDUCED ADULT MALE ALBINO RATS

Abstract

The study examined the chemical composition and effects of Persea americana (Pa) (avocado) seed and Talinum triangulare (Tt) (waterleaf) leaf extract flours on hypertension induced adult male albino rats. Fresh Tt leaves and Pa fruit were purchased from Ikpa market in Nsukka, Enugu state, Nigeria. The leaves were sorted, washed with tap water, drained in a plastic sieve, shade dried for 12 days and ground into flour. The seeds of Pa were removed from the pulp manually, washed, minced, shade dried at (25 ±20C) for 5 days and ground into flour. Four hundred grams of the ground Tt leaves were soaked in 800 ml boiled distilled water for 24 hours and filtered using Whatman No.42 filter paper. The aqueous extract was oven dried at (50oC) to obtain 190.6 g extract. Proximate composition, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals content of the seed and leaf flours were analysed using standard methods. Thirty-five rats used for the study weighed 155-180 g. The rats were divided into 7 groups (6 test groups and 1 control group) of 5 rats and were acclimatized for 3 days before hypertension was induced by feeding the rats 1 % salt solution and 92 % grower feed mixed with 8 % of salt for 14 days. Normal blood pressure of rats was 130/90 mmHg. On the day 14, the rats that had blood pressure (BP) level 170/90 mmHg and above were considered hypertensive. After the induction, group 1 (control) was fed 100% grower feed and water while groups 2 to 7 were fed grower feed, water, 100, 200 and 300 mg/body weight of Pa seed and Tt leaf extract flours for 14 days. The two samples were reconstituted with water to a consistency that passed through a cannular and administered orally using standard stock concentration (10 mg to 1ml). All the groups of rats were given grower feed and water ad libitum. The rats were weighed at the beginning and after the experiment. The BP of the rats was measured on days 3, 7, 10 and 14. Blood samples were collected before and after treatment and analysed for liver and kidney functions using standard methods. The data obtained were analysed using SPSS version 21.0. The means were separated using Duncan’s new multiple range test and significance level was set at (p < 0.05). The proximate composition of P. americana seed and T. triangulare leaf extract flours showed moisture content of 12.87 and 15.10 %, respectively, protein 17.53 and 24.30 %, respectively, and crude fiber 5.70 and 13.47 %, respectively. The P. americana seed flour had 6.86 mg of vitamin C, vitamin E 8.43 mg while T. triangulare leaf extract flour had 10.24 mg vitamin C and 15.24 mg vitamin E. The potassium, calcium, magnesium and sodium content of Pa seed flour were 237.68 mg/100g, 105.44 mg/100g, 80.17 mg/100g and 13.67 mg/100g, respectively while Tt leaf extract flour had 299.30 mg/100g 103.71 mg/100g 148.83 mg/100g aand 20.62 mg/100g respectively. There were 3.98 % flavonoid, 5.79 % alkaloid and 1.00 % carotenoids in the Pa seed flour while the Tt leaf extract flour had 4.00 % flavonoid, 2.09 % alkaloid and 0.66 % carotenoid. Phytate and cyanide contents of Pa seed flour were 0.06 and 0.08 %, respectively and the Tt were 0.10 and 0.08 %, respectively. There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) in the body weight of the rats. The two samples significantly (p < 0.05) lowered the blood pressure level of all the rats fed the samples. The urea level of all the group of rats decreased while the creatinine level increased. The activity of alanine amino transferase aspartate amino transferase and alkaline phosphatase significantly (p < 0.05) decreased in all the groups. The study shown that oral administration of the two samples at 100mg/kgBW might be useful in the treatment and management of hypertension in rats.