Antihypertensive Effect of Brucea javanica (L.) Merr. Fruit Extract

Ethnopharmacologically, the fruit of Brucea javanica (L.) Merr. is acknowledged in the Indonesian community to lower blood pressure. This study assessed the antihypertensive effect of B. javanica fruit extract using adrenaline-induced hypertensive Sprague Dawley rats. Hypertensive rats were divided into 4 groups: group A was given B. javanica water fraction and adrenaline, group B was given B. javanica hexane fraction and adrenaline, group C was given bisoprolol and adrenaline and group D was given adrenaline solely. Systolic blood pressure was regularly measured using the tail-cuff method. Treatment of adrenaline-induced hypertensive rats independently given B. javanica water fraction, the hexane fraction, and the bisoprolol group proved to significantly reduce blood pressure by 72.75 mmHg (-34%), 58.5 mmHg (-28%) and 23.25 mmHg (-12%) respectively, while there was an increase of 15.00 mmHg (+9%) SBP in the negative control group given solely adrenaline. The water fraction contains flavonoid and alkaloid. The hexane fraction of this fruit contains alkaloid. Our study suggest that the flavanoid and alkaloid content in B. javanica fruit work synergistically to alleviate hypertension, possibly through β1-adrenergic receptor-related mechanism.