Antihypertensive Activity of Aqueous-Methanol Extract of Berberis Orthobotrys Bien Ex Aitch in Rats 

Alamgeer^1*, Muhamamd S Akhtar¹, Qaiser Jabeen²,  Muhammad Akram¹, Hafeez U Khan¹, Sabeha Karim³, Muhammad NH Malik¹, Muhammad N Mushtaq¹ and Umme Salma¹

¹Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, ²Faculty of Pharmacy and Alternative Medicine Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, ³University College of Pharmacy, Punjab University, Lahore, Pakistan 

*For correspondence: Email: alam_yuchi@yahoo.com  Tel: +92-343-754778; Fax: +92-48-9230507 

Received:  3 March 2013                                                                                Revised accepted: 2 May 2013

Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, June 2013; 12(3): 393-399

Purpose: To investigate the hypotensive potential of Berberis orthobotrys Bien Ex Aitch (Family: Berberidaceae) in both normotensive and hypertensive rats.

Methods: Aqueous-methanol (70:30) extract of Berberis orthobotrys  at doses of 25, 50, 75 and 100 mg/kg was evaluated for its effect on blood pressure and heart rate using non-invasive blood pressure measuring apparatus. After initial screening, 100 mg/kg dose that produced a maximum effect was selected for the antihypertensive study. Median lethal dose (LD₅₀) and sub-chronic toxicity of the extract were also determined. Various biochemical parameters and organ weight were  measured using standard procedures.

Results: The extract produced a significant (p < 0.01) decrease in systolic blood pressure (SBP), mean blood pressure (MBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and heart rate of normotensive rats at all test doses with maximum effect at 100 mg/kg. Similarly, a significant antihypertensive and negative chronotropic effect was observed in both hypertensive models. LD₅₀ of the extract was 200 mg/kg in mice. The extract also exhibited a reduction (p < 0.05) in serum alanine transaminase  (ALT), aspartate aminotransaminase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), triglycerides and low density lipoprotein (LDL) levels while a significant (p < 0.05) increase in high density lipoproteins (HDL) level was observed.

Conclusion: It seems that the aqueous-methanol extract of Berberis orthobotrys possesses active compounds which may be responsible for the antihypertensive and negative chronotropic effects in rats.