Evaluation of Antihypertensive Effect of Fruit Beverage of Crataegus crenulata Roxb. : A wild Shrub of Himalayan Hills
<p>Morphological and biochemical studies of <em>Crataegus crenulata</em> syn.<em> Pyracantha crenulata</em> fruits have been carried out and an herbal formulation was prepared from its fruit juice. The small sized berries weighing 250 mg each and 4000±32 fruits in 1kg weight contain 25% fruit juice. Biochemical analysis of fruit juice quantified flavonoides content (2-3%), Vitamin ‘A’ (289 IU/ 100g), vitamin B<sub>12</sub> (110 µg/100g), Vitamin ‘C’ (57.8mg/100g), Vitamin ‘E’ (289mg/100g) protein (1.6%), calcium (3.79 mg/100g), magnesium (1.38 mg/100g), and potassium (1.39mg/100g). The present study was designed to investigate the efficacy of the herbal formulation from <em>C. crenulata</em> fruits in two forms of experimental hypertension: cadmium chloride induced and in normotensive control in animal module. Since the blood pressure fells down independently in the hypertensive and normotensive rats, the study strongly suggested <em>C. crenulata </em>possesses anti-hypertensive or hypotensive effects.</p>