Vasorelaxant effects of Psidium guajava L. (Myrtaceae) aqueous leaf extract on rat aorta

Abstract

Psidium guajava is widely used in the central plateau of Burkina Faso to treat many diseases among which hypertension. Aqueous leaf extract of this plant was evaluated on wistar rat aorta precontracted by Norepinephrine (NE) or 5-hydroxytrytamine (5-HT).The results showed endothelium-independent vasodilation. The plant extract relaxed NE and 5-HT precontracted rat aortic rings in a dose dependent manner. The plant extract shifted towards right concentration response curves induced by NE and 5-HT in a non-parallel manner. This suggests that vasorelaxation effects were likely via voltage dependent calcium channel (VDCC) and receptor-operated calcium channel (ROCC), and probably via inhibition of intracellular calcium release from calcium store. These results seem to confirm its use in hypertension traditional treatment.