ABSTRACT
Garcinia kola is known for its renowned medicinal attributes, offering a broad spectrum of health benefits. However, its effect on intraocular pressure and blood pressure among normotensive individuals is rarely explored. This study aimed to investigate the effects of graded doses of Garcina kola (GK) on intraocular pressure (IOP) and blood pressure (BP) of normotensive subjects. This was a quasi-experimental study design that used a convenient sampling technique and the data was analyzed using Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25, alongside descriptive statistics, repeated ANOVA test and Bonferroni post hoc test. This study composed of forty participants with equal distribution of gender between 18-30 years of age, with a mean age of 21.90 ± 2.283 years. Their body weight was between 50-79kg with a mean weight of 65.920 ± 5.43012. The participants were grouped into A, B, C, and D and each received 5g (71mg/kg), 10g (142mg/kg), 15g (214mg/kg) of GK fruit dose per body weight, and 600ml of water respectively. Measurements were taken at baseline, 30 minutes, 60 minutes and 90 minutes. Findings revealed that in group A, GK does not have significant effect on IOP levels at different time intervals (p=0.183). In group B, GK had significant effect on IOP reduction at different time intervals (p=0.001). In group C, GK resulted in a significant and sustained decrease in IOP in both eyes, particularly evident 90 minutes after ingestion (p<0.001). In group D, water intake did not induce any significant changes in IOP in either eye across the specified time intervals (p=0.195). In group A, GK had a significant effect on systolic blood pressure (SBP) reduction throughout the observed time intervals (p = 0.006), while diastolic blood pressure (DBP) remained unaffected (p = 0.139) In group B, GK displayed no significant effect on SBP and no significant effect on DBP over time (p = 0.130) In group C, GK did not have significant effect on SBP (p = 0.089), but had significant effect on DBP reduction (p = 0.001). Group D, there were no significant changes observed in SBP or DBP over time (p = 0.136). In conclusion, this study showed that Garcinia kola can influence IOP decrease in a dose-dependent manner, with higher doses potentially leading to significant reductions in IOP levels, particularly evident after 90 minutes post-ingestion. However, it is essential to note that GK have some effects on SBP reduction but were found to be inconsistent and clinically insignificant in normotensive individuals, with minimal effect on DBP reduction.
Keywords: Garcinia kola, intraocular pressure, blood pressure, graded doses, normotensive.
