ABSTRACT
Morinda morindoides (Backer) Milne-Redhead (Rubiaceae) is used by the people of west and central Africa for the treatment of diarrhea. The dichloromethane/ethanol extract of M. morindoides (Back) (ETDE) known to be used orally, will be in direct contact with the nobles organs. This study is conduced to see if this extract has effects on the body more precisely on blood pressure. ETDE injected intravenously (10.40 mg/kg b.w to 31.19 mg/kg b.w) provoked a decrease in the arterial blood pressure (hypotension) in a dose-dependent manner (ED50 = 7.08 mg/kg b.w). ETDE at 41.58 mg/kg b.w induce a maximum and irreversible hypotension which leads to the death of the animal. The effects induced by ETDE were inhibited in the presence of atropine at a concentration of 4.46 ×10-4 mg/kg b.w. Our observations, regarding the effects of ETDE on the high blood pressure initiated by adrenaline, showed that the hypertensive effects induced by adrenalin were totally inhibited by ETDE. ETDE induced a dose-dependent hypotension and reversible and his antihypertensive effect could militate for its use in the treatment of hypertension.
ABSTRACT
Diabetes is a disease which affects 5% of Côte-d’Ivoire population. This is a worrying prevalence rate. Our search for means of fighting this affection made us to develop an herbal medicine from decoction of Terminalia catappa leaves. During the experience we carried out, rabbits received, orally, a solution of glucose (4 g/l). As treatment, the hyperglycaemic rabbits were given, glibenclamide (0.25 mg/ml) and herbal medicine to drink, 0.6 ml per 20 grams of body weight. Before administration of glucose overload, the animals had a basal glycaemia of 1.11 g/l. The not treated rabbits’ glycaemia increased and reached 1.39 g/l. The oral administration of glibenclamide lowers blood sugar at 0.86 g/l, after 180 minutes. At 2.5 mg/ml, the herbal medicine does not induce a significant hypoglycaemic effect. At 10 mg/ml, it decreases the hyperglycaemia to 1.05 g/l. At 40 mg/ml, it induces a significant decrease in blood glucose. A fall of 30% was observed. At 40 mg/ml, its effect on hyperglycaemic rabbits is compared to glibenclamide (0.25 mg/ml). The glibenclamide exerts on normoglycaemic rabbits a significant basal glucose-lowering effect unlike herbal medicine. The herbal medicine appears like an antidiabetic and produces its hypoglycaemic effect mainly through alkaloids, sterols or triterpens.