Investigação química, botânica, toxicológica e cardiorrenal das sementes de Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) encompass disorders that affect the heart and blood vessels, with high blood pressure being a central risk factor. Hypertension, characterized by persistently high blood pressure levels, overloads the heart and damages blood vessels over time, leading to serious complications. In recent years, the use of medicinal plants has been increasingly studied as a complementary approach in the treatment of these diseases, due to the presence of bioactive compounds that can exert beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system. In this context, Citrullus lanatus (Cucurbitaceae), commonly known as watermelon, stands out. It is a fruit of great nutritional and ethnobotanical importance, widely consumed in Brazil and used in folk medicine as a nutritional supplement in the treatment of CVD. This study aimed to perform a morphological and chemical analysis of Citrullus lanatus seeds, in addition to investigating their toxicity and pharmacological effects in rats. The seeds were analyzed by optical and scanning electron microscopy, in addition to being subjected to physicochemical analyses. For this purpose, C. lanatus seeds were collected, dried and pulverized. Seed extracts were obtained through maceration, turbolysis and infusion, and analyzed by liquid chromatography (LC-DAD-MS). Acute and subacute toxicity tests were performed in Wistar rats, in addition to studies of diuretic, hypotensive and vasodilatory effects. The analysis revealed seeds rich in phenolic compounds and pectin, with high lipid and mineral content. Toxicity tests indicated that the extracts are safe, causing no mortality or adverse effects. The aqueous extract was shown to reduce peripheral vascular resistance, with significant cardioprotective effects in hypertensive rats. Finally, and no less important, we showed that the popular use of C. lanatus can be effective as an additional therapy in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases and opens perspectives for the development of an herbal medicine against hypertension.