ABSTRACT:
The rhizomes of Sansevierialiberica is used in southern Nigeria for the management of hypertension, yet not much is known about the basis of this action. Thus, this study reports the ability of an aqueous extract of the rhizomes of Sansevierialiberica to moderate blood pressures indices and pulse rates in normal and salt-loaded rats. The normal control and treatment control groups received a diet consisting 100% of the commercial feed, while the test control, reference treatment and test treatment groups received an 8% salt-loaded diet. The extract was orally administered daily at 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight; while the moduretics was administered at 1 mg/kg body weight. The test control, reference and control groups received appropriate volumes of water by the same route. Compared to test control and corresponding values on day 0, the extract dose dependently lowered the systolic, diastolic, pulse and mean arterial pressures of the treated rats. This result implies that the extract modulates all the blood pressure indices, to a varying extent; and in addition, supports the use of the leaves in traditional health care, for the management hypertension.