Effects of the flavonoids extracted from Spergularia purpurea Pers. on arterial blood pressure and renal function in normal and hypertensive rats

The antihypertensive and diuretic effects of the flavonoids extracted from Spergularia purpurea Pers. (SP) were studied both in normotensive (NTR) and spontaneously hypertensive conscious rats (SHR). Daily oral administration of the flavonoid mixture (5 mg/kg for 1 week) exhibited a significant decrease in blood pressure with variation coefficient (Delta) of 20 in SHR rats and 11 in NTR rats. The systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased significantly and respectively with 17 and 24% in SHR, and with 11 and 16% in NTR. The flavonoid mixture enhanced significantly the water excretion in hypertensive (P<0.001) and normal rats (P<0.001). Furthermore, oral administration of flavonoids mix…

Medicinal plants in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases 2013.

Since the dawn of human civilization, human beings have found remedies within their habitat and have adopted different therapeutic strategies depending upon climatic, phytogeographic, sociocultural, floral, and faunal characteristics. Traditional systems thus contain beliefs and practices in order to avoid, prevent, or avert ailments, which constitute traditional preventive medicine. The use of medicinal herbs and herbal medicine is an age-old tradition and the recent progress in modern therapeutics has stimulated the use of natural product worldwide for diverse ailments and diseases. The educated public and health care professionals have enormous interests in the medicinal uses of herbs, b…

Medicinal Plants in the Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Diseases

Hypoglycaemic effect of Spergularia purpurea in normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Single and repeated oral administration of the water extracts of Spergularia purpurea (SP) at a dose of 10 mg/kg were tested on hypoglycaemic activity in normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. In normal rats, the water extract of SP decreased significantly the plasma glucose levels 4 h after single oral administration (P0.01), and one week after repeated oral administration (P0.05). A significant decrease of plasma glucose levels was observed 6 h after a single oral administration of the water extract of S. purpurea in severe hyperglycaemic rats (n=6) from 22.78+/-0.60 to 11.21+/-0.49 mmol/l (P0.001). On other hand, water extract of S. purpurea normalised plasma glucose levels aft…