Extracts from Almond (Terminalia catappa) leaf and stem bark mitigate the activities of crucial enzymes and oxidative stress associated with hypertension in cyclosporine A-stressed rats.

We investigated the effect of extracts from the leaf (ALE) and stem bark (ABE) of Almond tree on activities of some crucial enzymes [angiotensin-1 converting enzyme (ACE), arginase, acetylcholinesterase (AChE), phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5), adenosine deaminase (ADA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase], and thiobarbituric acid reactive species (TBARS) associated with hypertension in normal adult male Wistar albino rats and Cyclosporine A (CsA)-stressed rats. The result revealed that CsA-stressed rats treated with captopril and extracts (ALE and ABE) had lowered ACE, arginase, AChE, PDE-5, ADA activities, and TBARS level, coupled with improved SOD and catalase activities compared with untreated CsA-stressed rats, which had reversed these biochemicals compared to normal rats. This suggests that the extracts could be explored to suppress hypertension and other cardiac injury known with CsA treatment; the potentials that could be linked with the constituent polyphenols. However, further studies including blood pressure should be determined to ascertain this claim. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Drug-induced cardiotoxicity, hypertension, and organ damage are among the most common side effects of pharmaceutics. Therefore, it becomes imperative to find natural, effective, and alternative therapy with little or no side effect to combat drug toxicity. The use of Almond (leaf and stem bark) in folklore for the treatment/management of hypertension and other heart-related diseases without full scientific basis is on the increase. Hence, this study provides some biochemical evidences on the effect of Almond leaf and stem back extracts on crucial enzymes and oxidative stress markers involve in the incidence of hypertension in the course of Cyclosporine A administration. The findings of this study indicated that the studied plant materials could be promoted as nutraceutical agents to neutralize drug-induced cardiac injury and hypertension.