Abstract
Cardiovascular effects of sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) called simply "Saji" in China were studied in SHRSP. Saji is a spiky shrub with yellow or orange berries.It has nodule rooting capability of fixing nitrogen from the air. Chemical analyses of Saji berries revealed that it contained vitamins C, B1, B2, E, F, K, P, provitamin A. The average protein content was 22% of the crude material, including polyphenols having high SOD activity. Further, it contained serotonin, cytosterol and selenium as well as zinc. In the in vivo study 5 SHRSPs were fed with rat chow containing powdered Saji fruits at the dose of 30mg/400g for 60 days. As the control group 4 SHRSPs were fed with normal rat chow. Then the arterial blood pressure and heart rate were measured on the tail. The venous blood weas sampled under anesthesia and subjected to biochemical analyses, and the heart was removed and frozen quickly in liquid nitrogen for histochemical analyses. The left ventricle was sliced horizontally in a crosssectional plane and studied by the double staining methods as described previously for the analyses of the arteriolar, intermediate and venular capillary portions. The arterial blood pressure and heart rate decreased. HbA1c, total plasma cholesterol and triglyceride decreased significantly. The arteriolar capillary portion tended to decrease, indicating the release from the stress caused by the hypertension.Thus the herbal medicine, Saji, is beneficial for cardiovascular and metabolic functions. [J Physiol Sci. 2006;56 Suppl:S130]
