The therapeutic potential of Ribes orientale in hypertension: Improving electrolyte balance, enhancing antioxidant activity, and modulating the muscarinic pathway.

Cardiovascular diseases like hypertension require diuretics, but their effectiveness and side effects limit their use. Alternatives like Ribes orientale extract are being investigated for potential diuretic. In acute diuretic action, the extract and fractions of Ribes orientale were investigated in saline-loaded rats at doses of 12.5, 25, and 50mg/kg, p.o., while prolonged diuretic activity was also performed by administration of the most potent and significant dose of Ribes orientale butanol fraction (ROBF) for 7days. ROBF diuretic action was confirmed through parameters like urine volume, electrolyte concentration, pH and conductivity. The study found that 50mg/kg of ROBF had the most potent and significant diuretic activity, like furosemide (10mg/kg). It also produced significant natriuresis and insignificant kaliuresis in electrolyte excretion. ROBF increased diuretic activity significantly from the first and 7th days. In the mechanistic study, it has been evaluated that nitric oxide and prostaglandins pathways are not involved in the diuretic effect of ROBF, while cholinergic pathway might be responsible for the diuretic effect of ROBF. Hematological, renal function tests and histopathological studies confirmed the safety of Ribes orientale at 50mg/kg. Results showed slight changes in blood count parameters and no significant changes in creatinine and blood urea nitrogen levels compared to the negative control. Furthermore, downregulation of aldosterone by ROBF prolonged activity enhances the local bradykinin availability that results in marked diuretic and natriuretic activity. It is evident from the decreased level of malondialdehyde (MDA) that Ribes orientale reduces the oxidative stress while increased level of superoxide dismutase (SOD) depicts improving level of antioxidant activity. We conclude that the butanol fraction of Ribes orientale roots possesses a considerable diuretic effect. Therefore, more study is needed to identify the exact mechanism of action and the real efficacy of Ribes orientale as diuretic.