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8217102 
Journal Article 
Blood pressure lowering effect of extract of Gongronema latifolium 
Ezekwe, CI; Austin, O; Ugwu Okechukwu, PC; Nwodo, OFC; Ezea, SC 
2014 
0 
Research Journal of Pharmaceutical, Biological and Chemical Sciences
ISSN: 0975-8585 
Research Journal of Pharmaceutical, Biological and Chemical Sciences 
5 
2 
952-959 
English 
The ethanol extract of Gongronema latifolium leaves were investigated for anti-hypertensive activity. To determine this, first ethanol extraction was carried out and the ethanol extract was further fractionated using three different solvents. N-hexane, chloroform and ethylacetate respectively and the residual washed with ethanol. The ability of different fractions to lower blood pressure of anaesthetized cat was carried out. The result obtained revealed that the crude ethanol extract and its four fractions significantly lowered the blood pressure of the cat. The extract and fractions effected blood pressure reduction in same way as the parasympathomimetic drug which activity was antagonized by atropine, indicating that the receptors were operating with the muscarinic receptors. The fractions of the crude in their own characteristic property lowered the blood pressure of anaesthetized cat. Of the four fractions, the chloroform fraction effected the highest blood pressure reduction followed by the n-hexane and then the ethylacetate fractions. The least reduction in blood pressure was by the residual ethanol fraction. 
Gongronema latifolium; Hypertensive activity; Muscarinic receptors and parasympathomimetic