Vasoactive and antioxidant activities of plants used in Mexican traditional medicine for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases

Figures & data

Table 1.  Local names, ethnomedical uses, part of plant employed, mode of preparation, and references of ethnobotanical information on the plant species.

Botanical name and family	Local names	Ethnomedical uses	Part plant/mode of preparation	References
Agastache mexicana (Kunth) Lint & Epling (Lamiaceae)	Toronjil morado, toronjil rojo, toronjil colorado, tlalahuéhuetl (nahuatl), tlalámatl (nahuatl), pinkil (tepehua)	To treat heart diseases	Whole plant decoction taken orally	Aguilar et al., 1994; Linares et al., 1988; Linares et al., 1990
Bocconia frutescens L. (Papaveraceae)	Calderón, cojojehuite, contsitslats (totonaca), cuatlataya, guachile,inguande, llora sangre, palo santo, coacuahuitl	Anti-hypertensive	Stem decoction taken orally	Díaz, 1976
Chenopodium murale L. (Chenopodiaceae)	Hediondilla, quinoa negra, yuyo negro, quelite de perro, quelite de puerco, catzú (otomí)	Anti-hypertensive, anti-diarrheic	Aerial parts mixed with soups taken orally	Martínez, 1991
Chirantodendron pentadactylon Larreat (Sterculiaceae)	Flor de manita, macpalxóchitl (nahuatl), mapilxóchitl (nahautl), teyacua, mapasuchil, mano de león	To treat heart diseases and nervousness	Flower decoction taken orally	Aguilar et al., 1994; Linares et al., 1988; Linares et al., 1990; Martínez, 1991
Dracocephalum moldavica L. (Lamiaceae)	Toronjil, toronjil azul,toronjil chino	To treat heart diseases	Whole plant decoction taken orally	Aguilar et al., 1994; Linares et al., 1988; Linares et al., 1990
Magnolia grandiflora L.	Magnolia, palo de cacique, semíramis	To treat heart diseases and anti-hypotensive	Flower decoction taken orally	Aguilar et al., 1994; Linares et al., 1988; Linares et al., 1990
Prunus serotina ssp. capuli (Cav. ex Spreng) McVaugh (Rosaceae)	Capulín, paté (chontal), shencua (tarasco)	Anti-arrhythmic	Stem decoction taken orally	Díaz, 1976
Psittacanthus calyculatus G. Don (Loranthaceae)	Pici-guii (zapotec), cuautzictli (nahuatl), chak-xkiu (maya), injerto, muérdago	Anti-hypertensive	Whole plant decoction taken orally	Díaz, 1976
Sechium edule Sw. (Cucurbitaceae)	Chayote	Anti-hypertensive	Leaf decoction taken orally	Díaz, 1976
Solanum rostratum Dunal (Solanaceae)	Duraznillo, hierba del sapo, ayohuitztle, hierba del gato, mala mujer	Anti-hypertensive, anti-diarrheic	Aerial parts decoction taken orally	Martínez, 1991

Figure 1.  Concentration–response curves for the vascular relaxant effects of the aqueous extracts.

Table 2.  Vasorelaxant effect of ACh and the aqueous extracts prepared from Mexican medicinal plants in rat aortic segments.

Extract/compound	EC50 (µg/mL)	Emax (%)
ACh	0.6 ± 0.02	79.8 ± 8.6
P. calyculatus	531.8 ± 57.4	97.2 ± 2.8
D. moldavica	39.1 ± 16.8	76.4 ± 6.4
P. serotina	190.4 ± 37.1	70.2 ± 10.1
C. pentadactylon	30.6 ± 7.6	66.5 ± 6.8
C. murale	440.2 ± 54.4	37.1 ± 6.6
A. mexicana	233.7 ± 45.7	24.9 ± 6.8
S. edule	0.2 ± 0.1	24.3 ± 5.6

Table 3.  Total phenolic and flavonoid contents and antioxidant activity of the plant extracts.

Extract	Phenolics^a	Flavonoids^b	DPPH, IC50 (µg/mL)	µmol Trolox/g extract	FRAP (µmol FeSO4/g extract)
C. pentadactylon	221.4 ± 0.6	164.7 ± 0.1	140.6 ± 1.0	2678.5	456.3 ± 16.9
P. calyculatus	253.1 ± 16.8	33.4 ± 0.8	251.8 ± 1.0	1834.9	1150.7 ± 31.7
D. moldavica	106.9 ± 0.1	72.3 ± 0.1	312.6 ± 1.0	1123.5	398.9 ± 21.6
P. serotina	67.1 ± 1.7	35.1 ± 0.8	1552.4 ± 1.0	304.4	202.9 ± 15.7
C. murale	30.6 ± 0.9	15.8 ± 0.1	*	868.9	nd
A. mexicana	111.9 ± 2.4	90.7 ± 3.2	502.3 ± 1.0	926.9	nd
S. edule	24.9 ± 1.0	10.4 ± 0.5	*	26.2	250.6 ± 31.4

Note. Values are means ± SD of three independent experiments. *IC₅₀ could not be calculated due to solubility limitations. At a concentration of 2.5 mg extract/mL, the % inhibition was 37.5 and 2.27 for C. murale and S. edule, respectively. nd, not determined.

^aData expressed as milligrams of gallic acid equiv. per gram of dried extract.

^bData expressed as milligrams of (+)-catechin equiv. per gram of dried extract.

Table 4.  HPLC data of flavonoids detected in the plants.

Scientific name	Flavonoids	Rt (min)^a	Amounts (µg/g of fresh plant)
A. mexicana	Hesperitin Quercetin	17.89 19.01	27.2 10.5
B. frutescens	(+)-Catechin Quercetin Hesperitin	5.11 19.16 17.86	2.3 2.2 6.8
C. murale	Quercetin Kaempferol Hesperitin	19.03 21.36 17.94	42.9 10.4 44.1
D. moldavica	Hesperitin	17.99	0.7
M. grandiflora	(+)-Catechin	5.09	4.1
	Hesperitin	17.88	11.6
	Rutin	6.12	1.4
P. serotina ssp. capuli	(+)-Catechin	5.01	56.1
P. calyculatus	(+)-Catechin	5.08	36.7
	Quercetin Rutin Hesperitin	19.21 6.09 18.21	16.4 27.3 12.7

^aRt, retention time.

Figure 2.  Values of total phenolics content and (A) TEAC (µmol Trolox/g) and (B) E_max of the vasorelaxing plant extracts evaluated.

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