Hypotensive and diuretic effect of Equisetum bogotense and Fuchsia magellanica and micropropagation of E. bogotense

Abstract

Equisetum bogotense (Equisetaceae) and Fuchsia magellanica (Onagraceae) were used by the Mapuche Amerindians as diuretics. Intravenous administration of hydroalcoholic extracts to rats elicited a hypotensive response of -29.0% ±4.5% and -24.2% ±0.5% respectively in the mean blood pressure of normotensive animals at a dose of 5 mg crude extract/kg body weight. The activity was found to be related with polar compounds. For Fuchsia, the active principles are related to tannins. A single oral dose of 500 mg/kg body weight Equisetum extract produced a significant increase (p < 0.05) in the urine output in rats, while in Fuchsia a reduction in diuresis was observed. The diuretic effect of the Equisetum extract was weak compared with hydrochlorothiazide at 25 mg/kg body weight. The data presented support the use of E. bogotense in Chilean traditional medicine. A micropropagation method for E. bogotense was established by culturing shoot tips in Murashige-Skoog medium with macro and micronutrients diluted 4-fold and containing 0.1 mg/L thiamine, 100 mg/L myoinositol, 1.0 mg/L NAA and 0.1 mg/L BAP.