In-vivo Anti-lipidemia and Anti-oxidant Activity of Vernonia amygdalina del (Bitter Leaf) Leaf Extracts Collected in Harmattan on L-NAME Induced Hypertensive Male Rats.

This study investigated the antioxidant and anti-lipidemia activity of methanolic extract of Vernonia amygdalina (VA) leafs in L-Nitro-Nomega Arginine Methyl Ester (L-NAME) induced-hypertensive rats and compared with a standard hypertensive drug (Amlodipine). The rats were firstly induced with 40mg/kg body weight of L-NAME for 2weeks before being co-administered with 5mg/kg amlodipine as well as 100mg/kg, 200mg/kg and 400mg/kg body weight of extract respectively for another 3weeks. Both administration and induction were done orally, once daily across different groups. The effects of the VA were then assessed on oxidative stress markers (superoxide dismutase (SOD) and Catalase (CAT) activities as well as reduced Glutathione (GSH) and Malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations and lipid profile (High density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), Low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), Triglyceride (TG) and Total cholesterol (TC)) in the serum of the rats. The extract was non toxic, having a LD-50 greater than 10,000mg/kg body weight and L-NAME significantly (*P<0.05) increase the level of blood pressure in the induced groups causing hypertension compared to the control. Also L-NAME significantly (*P<0.05) increased the levels of MDA, LDL, TG, and TC while significantly (*P<0.05) reducing the activities of SOD and CAT and the concentrations of GSH and HDL. Treatment with the extract significantly (*P<0.05) reduced the levels of MDA, LDL, TG, and TC while increasing the activities of SOD and CAT and concentrations of HDL in the hypertensive rats. This result suggest that the extract have potent antioxidant and anti-lipidemia effect on hypertensive rats and therefore may possess antihypertensive activity.