The need to consider an ethnomedicinal alternative for the management of hypertension has become necessary due to the high cost associated with purchasing conventional antihypertensive drugs and the inability of patients to adhere strictly to the procedures of administration. A total of 40 acclimatized male Wistar rats were used for the study. Five rats were grouped as normotensive control (group A). 25 hypertensive rats were selected for the groups B to F; five rats each. Group B served as the hypertensive negative control group without treatment, Group C served as the hypertensive group and received amlodipine at 0.14 mg/kg. Groups D, E and F served as the hypertensive groups and received 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg dose of Mucuna flagellipes seed extract (MFSE) orally for 3 weeks. Their body weights, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), heart rate (HR), mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) and lipid profiles were assessed. The result of the study showed that the different doses of the MFSE possess significant antihypertensive effects (p<0.001 and p<0.01) although not in dose dependent manner. The findings therefore suggest that MFSE possess significant antihypertensive effects though not as potent as amlodipine. Further research is therefore recommended on these effects on man.

Keywords: Hypertension, lipid profile, blood pressure, mucuna flagellipes