Effects of Essential Oil and Hydroalcoholic Extract of Dracocephalum Kotschyi on Blood Pressure in Rats

Summary: Can a medicinal herb lower blood pressure? In rats, Dracocephalum kotschyi essential oil lowered pressure, while its hydroalcoholic extract did not. #HerbalMedicine #BloodPressure

Izadi M S ; Karami Z ; Yegdaneh A ; Sadraei H
Source: Journal of Medicinal Plants Published:2026

Abstract

Background: Dracocephalum kotschyi is a medicinal plant with well-documented anti-spasmodic and anti-inflammatory properties. However, its potential effects on blood pressure have not been previously investigated. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the pharmacological effects of D. kotschyi essential oils and its hydroalcoholic extract on blood pressure in rats. Methods: Male Wistar rats were divided into four groups (n = 6/group): vehicle, Nifedipine, D. kotschyi hydroalcoholic extract, and D. kotschyi essential oil. The hydroalcoholic extract and essential oil were prepared by maceration and hydrodistillation, respectively. Under anesthesia, the jugular vein and carotid artery were cannulated, and the carotid cannula was connected to a pressure transducer for continuous blood pressure recording. The effects of intravenous administration of the vehicle, Nifedipine (50-500 ig/kg), the hydroalcoholic extract (20-200 mg/kg), and the essential oil (2-20 mg/kg) on blood pressure were assessed. Results: Intravenous administration of D. kotschyi essential oil significantly reduced blood pressure at 8 mg/kg (P < 0.05) and at 12 and 20 mg/kg (P < 0.01) compared with the vehicle-treated group. In contrast, the hydroalcoholic extract did not significantly affect blood pressure at any of the tested dose. As expected, Nifedipine significantly reduced blood pressure compared with the vehicle-treated group (P < 0.01). Conclusion: The D. kotschyi essential oil contains vasoactive constituents capable of lowering blood pressure. Conversely, the inactivity of the hydroalcoholic extract suggests that its volatile hypotensive constituents were largely lost during rotary evaporation. © 2023. Open access. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)