Hancornia speciosa Gomes induces hypotensive effect through inhibition of ACE and increase on NO

• Published in: Journal of ethnopharmacology Vol. 137; no. 1; pp. 709 - 713
• Main Authors: Silva, G.C., Braga, F.C., Lima, M.P., Pesquero, J.L., Lemos, V.S., Cortes, S.F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01-09-2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: Administration, Oral; Angiotensin II; Angiotensin II - blood; Angiotensin-converting enzyme; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors - administration & dosage; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors - chemistry; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors - isolation & purification; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors - pharmacology; Animals; Antihypertensive Agents - administration & dosage; Antihypertensive Agents - chemistry; Antihypertensive Agents - isolation & purification; Antihypertensive Agents - pharmacology; Apocynaceae - chemistry; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Pressure - drug effects; Captopril - pharmacology; Ethanol - chemistry; General pharmacology; Hancornia speciosa; Hypertension; Male; Medical sciences; Mice; Nitric oxide; Nitric Oxide - metabolism; Nitric Oxide Synthase - antagonists & inhibitors; Nitric Oxide Synthase - metabolism; Nitrites - blood; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Plant Extracts - administration & dosage; Plant Extracts - chemistry; Plant Extracts - isolation & purification; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plant Leaves; Plants, Medicinal; Plethysmography; Solvents - chemistry; Time Factors; Up-Regulation; Hypertension; Hancornia speciosa; Angiotensin-converting enzyme; Angiotensin II; Nitric oxide; Peptides; Enzyme; Pharmacognosy; Peptide hormone; Cardiovascular disease; Medicinal plant; Apocynaceae; Peptidases; Hypotensive drug; Octapeptide; Renin angiotensin system; Peptidyl-dipeptidase A; Dicotyledones; Arterial hypotension; Angiospermae; Plant origin; Hydrolases; Peptidyl-dipeptidases; Spermatophyta
• ISSN: 0378-8741; 1872-7573
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2011.06.031

The leaves of Hancornia speciosa Gomes are popularly used in Brazil to treat diabetes and hypertension. Cardiovascular diseases are the main cause of death worldwide and their incidences are increasing in Brazilian population. The present study aimed to investigate the hypotensive effect and the mechanism of action of Hancornia speciosa Gomes.
A fraction of the ethanolic extract of leaves from Hancornia speciosa (SFH) was obtained and standardized by its content on rutin, bornesitol and quinic acid. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) of normotensive mice was measured by tail pletismography. SFH was given orally and SBP was monitored for 5h. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor activity of SFH (1mg/kg) or captopril (10mg/kg) was measured by colorimetric methods. Serum nitrite levels were measured by spectrophotometry.
SFH induced a dose-dependent hypotensive effect in normotensive mice. The serum activity of ACE and the level of angiotensin II were significantly reduced by SFH and by captopril. Administration of SFH induced a significant increase on plasmatic level of nitrites and the systemic inhibition of nitric oxide synthase by L-NAME (20mg/kg) reduced the hypotensive effect of SFH.
The present work demonstrated that Hancornia speciosa has a potent hypotensive effect in normotensive mice. The inhibition of ACE leading to reduction on angiotensin II and increase on NO levels might account for the hypotensive effect. These results support the use of Hancornia speciosa by traditional medicine as antihypertensive.