Possible Anti-cardiovascular Boosting Properties of Sphenostylis stenocarpa Seed Oil and Milk on Salt Loading-induced Hypertension in Rats

Abstract

Legumes have been shown to have strong nutraceutical potentials, and this made them the strong source of nutrients that protect the human health. Protection of the heart from malfunctioning is a sure way of averting the incidence of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), which have been one of the major causes of death in middle and high income countries.  Out  of  the  17  million  premature  deaths  (under  the  age  of  70)  due  to  non-communicable diseases in 2015, 82% are in middle and high income countries, and 37% are caused by CVDs.  The most preventive measure for cardiovascular disease is primary prevention of risk factors. Most cardiovascular diseases can be prevented by addressing behavioural risk factors such as tobacco use, unhealthy diet and obesity, physical inactivity and harmful use of  alcohol  using  population-wide  strategies.    People  with  cardiovascular  diseases  or  who  are  at  high cardiovascular  risk  (due  to  the  presence  of  one  or  more  risk  factors  such  as  hypertension,  diabetes,  hyperlipidaemia  or already  established  disease)  need  early  detection  and  management  using  counselling  and  medicines,  as  appropriate. Sphenostylis  stenocarpa  (Hochst.  ex.  A.  Rich)  Harms  is  an  orphan  legume  crop  which  its  oil and milk  when  administered  to hypertensive albino rats,  significantly (p< 0.05) lowered the atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), which is a strong marker for  predicting  the  risk  of  cardiovascular  disease.  Hypertension  was  induced  in  rats  using  saturated  NaCl  solution.  The rats were treated with the extracted oil and milk at different concentrations. It was observed that Sphenostylis stenocarpa seed has low glycaemic index and that at varying concentrations and time significantly (p < 0.05) lowered the AIP.