Effect of Beet Root (Beta vulgaris), White and Red Radish (Raphanus sativus and Raphanus longipinnatus) Juice Extract, on Salt Induced Hypertensive Wistar Rats

Background: Hypertension is one of the major global health challenges with high prevalence and undesirable complications, and is a major cause of premature death worldwide.

Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of juice extracted from beetroot (BR), red radish (RR) and white radish (WR) tubers on experimentally induced hypertension in 10-week-old Wistar rats.

Methodology: Total of 35 rats was randomly divided into seven (7) experimental groups A - G with 5 rats each. Rats in group A were not induced (normotensive group). All the rats in groups B-G were induced with hypertensive agent. Group B was not treated (negative control), groups C-G were treated simultaneously with a dose of 800 mg/kg body weight (orally) of BR, RR, WR, BR+RR combination, and standard drug (5mg Amlodipine) respectively. The study lasted for a period of 28 days during which the blood pressure and heart rate (HR) of each of the experimental rats were measured at 0, 7, 14, 21 and 28th day using Stethoscope technique. The interpretation of systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were made from pulse tracings using Aneroid Sphygmomanometer. The mean blood pressure (MBP) was calculated from SBP and DBP.

Results: The BR, RR, WR and combination of BR+RR, did decrease the number of heart beats/minute from 192.00/minute to 208.80/minute which is within the normal base line, whereas the untreated rats recorded increase from 192.00/minute to 246.80/minute. The result showed that the hypertensive rats recorded higher (P<0.05) mean values of SBP, the treated groups altered the rise from 110.40 mmHg to 100.40mmHg with the standard drugs, followed by the white radish treatment group, the combination of BR+RR, before RR, lastly the BR group. For DBP, at week 4, same impact reflected again, but week 2 and week 3 had WR to have the best effect, followed by BR +RR, then RR before the standard drug and then Beetroot. The BR + RR juice performed better than the individual RR and BR juice groups, suggesting possible synergistic effect.

Conclusion: The 3 juice extracts had demonstrated varying degrees of protection, provided scientific evidence of their anti- hypertensive activities in an experimentally induced hypertension. Further studies are hereby recommended to isolate the specific biomolecule active agent(s) and investigate the mechanism of action.