Abstract
Centaurium cachanlahuen (Mol.) Robinson is a chilean native plant widely used in traditional medicine for the treatment of many diseases, including cardiovascular disorders. Studies carried out in normal and hypertensive rats suggested that extract of Centaurium cachanlahuen has antihypertensive effect. In this work, we aim to evaluate the effect of aqueous and hydroalcoholic extracts of Centaurium cachanlahuen on the vascular reactivity using rat aorta rings precontrated with phenylephrine (0.1 μM). Results showed that both aqueous (3 mg/mL) and hydroalcoholic extracts (3 mg/mL) produced rat aorta vasodilatation that was higher (P < 0.001) in the hydroalcoholic extract compared to the aqueous extract. This effect had an important endothelium-dependent component that was mediated by nitric oxide (NO), as supported by the inhibition of the response in the presence of N-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA, 100 μM), a nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor. We suggest that xanthones present in the plant may play a key role in the vasodilator effect of Centaurium cachanlahuen extracts. The present study provides experimental evidence supporting the folkloric use of Centaurium cachanlahuen as hypotensive agent.
| Translated title of the contribution | Centaurium cachanlahuen (Mol.) Robinson, a Chilean native plant with a vasodilatory effect |
|---|---|
| Original language | Spanish |
| Pages (from-to) | 61-65 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Boletin Latinoamericano y del Caribe de Plantas Medicinales y Aromaticas |
| Volume | 11 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| State | Published - Jan 2012 |
| Externally published | Yes |