Effect of Solvents Fractions of Cucurbita maxima Cuticular Lipids on Metabolic Biomarkers of Cardiovascular Disease
A. Idi *
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Bayero University Kano, P.M.B.3011, Kano, Nigeria.
M. K. Atiku
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Bayero University Kano, P.M.B.3011, Kano, Nigeria.
A. J. Alhassan
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Bayero University Kano, P.M.B.3011, Kano, Nigeria.
I. U. Muhammad
Department of Biochemistry, College of Medical Sciences, Yobe State University, Damaturu, P.M.B 1144; Yobe, Nigeria.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
This study was aimed at studying the effect of solvents (n-hexane, chloroform and methanol) fractions of Cucurbita maxima (pumpkin) cuticular lipids on metabolic biomarkers of cardiovascular disease using L-NAME induced hypertensive rats. A total of thirty-six (120-150 g) albino rats were randomly selected and placed into twelve groups of three rats each were used for this study. Each rat was weighed and tagged and thereafter weighed weekly for five weeks of the experiment. Rats were induced with hypertension using 40mg/Kg body weight/24hours. Other rats were placed on normal feeds and water while biomarkers were assayed and recorded on weekly basis. Group I served as normal control, Group II were hypertensive control, Group III were induced with hypertension and administered with standard drug while Groups IV-XII were induced with hypertension and administered with varying doses of n-hexane, chloroform and methanol fractions. A slight alteration on metabolic biomarkers between the normal control group and hypertensive control group was recorded, which was reversed by the administration of methanol fraction. Thus, cuticular lipids from Cucurbita maxima might have some anti-hypertensive potentials.
Keywords: Biomarkers, cuticular lipids, Cucurbita maxima, hypertension and L-NAME