Chilean crude extract of Ruta graveolens generates vasodilatation in rat aorta at subtoxic cellular concentrations

In Chile elevated percentage of population have cardiovascular diseases, 70% of this populations is a hypertensive peoples. The Ruta graveolens (Ruta) is a medicinal plant used in different parts of the world with different therapeutics properties like dermatologic as far as anti-helmintic properties. We analyzed the vascular action measuring the tension to identify vasodilator effect of Ruta extract in normtense rat’s aorta incubated and measured in isolated organ bath, and evaluating the toxicity effect in CRL-1730 cell line, through enzymatic assay (MTT), confocal microscopy (propidium iodide stain) and flow cytometry (TUNEL assay), including extracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production through luminescence assay. The results show with DE50 29 ± 0.1 μg/mL evidenced vasodilatation, partially endothelium-depend. The cytotoxicity showed with DE50 304.6 ± 2 μg/mL in enzymatic assay (MTT) while evidenced membrane permeability in high concentrations (1500 μg/mL), DNA fragmentation in absence of oxidative stress in only observed when high concentrations of Ruta are used over the cell culture. The vasodilatation activity is executed in subtoxic concentration and partially endothelium-depend without permeability effect in the membrane and deterioration of the cells viability suggesting a complex effect of Ruta preparation in the regulation of vascular tone.