Comparison of the effects of aqueous extracts of Persea americana Mill

Hypertension or elevated blood pressure is a serious medical condition that significantly increases the risks of heart, brain, kidney and other diseases. The aim of this study was to determine and compare the activities of avocado (Persea americana; family Lauraceae) leaves, root and trunk bark extracts on isolated aorta of wistar rats and perform phytochemical screening. The effects of the aqueous extracts of theselected plant materials were studied on the vasomotor activity of isolated rat aorta. Lastly, the vasodilatory effect of the extracts under study were reproduced in the laboratory using the adrenaline and potassium chloride solutions that are both well-known for their vasoconstrictor effect on smooth muscle cells constituting the aorta. The amplitudes of the responses varied depending on the type of extracts. Our results revealed that the leaf extracts was the part of the plant that had the highest effect on the isolated aorta. These extracts produced a continuous vasorelaxation effect in 22.22% of the cases studied against a transient vasorelaxation effect in 77.78% of all cases. The vasodilation observed in our study could be attributed to the presence of antihypertensive chemical compounds. However, the cause of the transient vasorelaxation effects remains to be determined.