L. E Yahaya¹ , J. F. Atanda¹ , A. A. Oyagbemi²

1 Department of Value Addition Research, Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria, Ibadan, Nigeria
2 Department of Veterinary Physiology, Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
Author    Correspondence author
Bioscience Methods, 2026, Vol. 17, No. 3   
Received: 17 May, 2026    Accepted: 18 Jun., 2026    Published: 29 Jun., 2026

This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Background: Hypertension remains a leading cause of cardiovascular disease and mortality worldwide. This study explores the potential of tea seed oil (TSO) in mitigating hypertension-related complications in a rat model induced with N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME). TSO was extracted following standard protocols, and experimental groups (A - E) were administered L-NAME along with varying doses of TSO or Enalapril Maleate (as a positive control) for 28 days. Blood pressure indices were measured non-invasively, and blood and tissue samples were collected for biochemical analyses.

Results: Groups B and E showed significant changes in systolic blood pressure (SBP) compared to the control (Group A). Additionally, SBP decreased notably in groups C, D, and E compared to hypertensive group B. The administration of TSO at the highest dose (0.6 ml/kg) caused a reduction in diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in group D, similar to the effect of enalapril maleate in group E. Group B, subjected only to L-NAME administration, exhibited notable increases in LDL-C. Liver function markers like AST, ALT, and ALP showed significant changes across groups, with TSO administration leading to reductions in AST in groups C and D, and in group E compared to group B. Group B rats showed a significant rise in malondialdehyde (MDA) compared to Group A. TSO administration in Groups C and D slightly reduced MDA towards Group A levels. In Group E, MDA significantly differed from both groups A and B. Catalase (CAT) decreased significantly in group B but remained unchanged in groups C, D, and E compared to A or B. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) decreased significantly in group B compared to A but increased in C, D, and E compared to B. Glutathione peroxidase (GPx) decreased in groups B and C compared to A but increased in C compared to B. Groups D and E showed no significant difference in GPx values compared to either A or B. Reduced glutathione (GSH) increased significantly in TSO-treated Groups C and D and in the standard drug group compared to A or B.

Conclusions: These findings highlight the therapeutic potential of TSO as a natural adjunct in the management of hypertension and its related complications.

 

Hypertension; Blood Pressure; Tea seed oil; Oxidative stress; Antioxidant enzymes