Development of cucurbocitrin based nutraceutical formulation: A potential adjuvant herbal therapy in the management of hypertension

Abstract

Nearly half of the hypertensive patients fail to manage their blood pressure despite pharmacological interventions, which reflects the dire need for adjuvant anti-hypertensive therapies. Nutraceutical formulations are attractive in this regard owing to their efficacy, ease of availability, and moderate pricing. The current investigation involves the formulation of cucurbocitrin nutraceutical tablets by direct compression method and evaluated for its anti-hypertensive effect in the management of hypertension. Cucurbocitrin is a natural compound prepared from Citrullus lanatus seeds belonging to the family Cucurbitaceae. The powder blend was examined for pre-compression studies such as angle of repose, bulk density, tapped density, Carr’s index, Hausner's ratio, etc. Based on acute-oral toxicity results, two tablet formulations were prepared using a different dose of cucurbocitrin and evaluated for post-compression parameters such as friability, hardness, weight variation, disintegration time, and in vitro drug release studies. In vivo studies were also performed for both formulations using a 10% Glucose solution-induced hypertension model in albino rats to observe its anti-hypertensive activity. The study indicated that nutraceutical formulation was found to be effective in reducing hypertension in an animal model.