"Hypotensive Potential of Desmodium Adscendens on Cardiovascular Functions"

Backgrounds: Desmodium adscendens is one of the medicinal herbs used in the management of some medical conditions in recent times.The current study investigates the effects of aqueous leave extract of Desmodium adscendens on the serum levels of Sodium, Chloride, Potassium, and Bicarbonate ions, and by inference on the cardiovascular function in healthy wistar rats.Method: Twenty-four (24) wistar rats grouped into four (n=6) were used for the research.Group 1 served as control, while Groups 2, 3, and 4 were treated orally with low, median and high doses of the extract of D adscendens for four weeks, after which blood was collected separately from each group and the serum level of the electrolyte determined by appropriate methods and comparison made with the control group and among the groups.Results: There was significant decrease (P<0.05) in serum concentration of Sodium, Chloride and Bicarbonate ions, and an increase in Potassium ion. Conclusion:The decrease in serum concentration of Na + , Cl -, HCO 3 -indicates that the extract has the potential to lower blood pressure, and that may be attributed to the active phytochemical constituents present in the leaves.Therefore D. adscendens leaf has beneficial hypotensive potential on cardiovascular functions.