Abstract
The present study focused on the relaxant effect of themethanolic extract (ME) of Tribulus terristris on rats’ thoracic aortae and included the study of underlying vasorelaxation mechanisms. The methanolic extract produced concentration-dependent relaxation in rats’ aorta. The methanolic extract produced concentration-dependent relaxation in the aortic rings. The use of different K+ channel blockers (BaCl2, 4-AP, GLIB, and TEA) indicated that Kv, KATP, KIR, and KCa and L-type Ca channels played no role in the methanolic extractinduced relaxation. However, with respect to endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factors, PGI2 and sGC produced a mild inhibition in the relaxation response to ME while NO produced no effect at all.
 Based on the novel results of the current study, it can be concluded that T. terrestris methanolic extract (ME) mediated relaxation in isolated rat aortic tissues in a concentration-dependent manner. Moreover, we discovered that ME-mediated relaxation is endothelium-dependent and that potassium and calcium ion channels play no role in this relaxation with a limited role of PGI2 and sGC.
Highlights
Medicinal plants and herbs are widely used in folk medicine for curing and protecting from many diseases
The role of K+ channels in methanolic extract (ME)-mediated relaxation in isolated rats’ aortic rings using their respective specific K+ channel blockers (BaCl2, 4-AP, Glib, and TEA) indicated that K+ channel subtypes KV, KATP, KIR, and KCa play no direct role in ME-mediated relaxation as indicated in figure 1 and table 1
The dose-dependent relaxation resulted from incubation of rats aortic ring with methanol extract of T. terrestrisis similar to that caused by the ethyl acetate extract of the fruits of the same plant in the rat thoracic aorta conducted by Balogun and Ashafa
Summary
Medicinal plants and herbs are widely used in folk medicine for curing and protecting from many diseases. Tribulus terrestrisis characterized by having diuretic, aphrodisiac [5], antiurolithic, immunomodulatory [6], antidiabetic, absorption promoting, hypolipidemic, and cardiotonic [7]. It acts as a nervous system tonic, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory [8], antispasmodic, antibacterial, anthelmintic [9], and anticarcinogenic effects [5, 10, 11]. It assists in curing coughs, respiratory issues, and cardiac problems [12]
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