Ethnopharmacology and Bioactive Constituent Analysis of Anti-Hypertensive Plants Used in Bayelsa State, South South Nigeria

Hypertension prevalence is rising rapidly in Bayelsa State, South South Nigeria, driven by lifestyle changes, dietary salt consumption, and limited healthcare access in riverine communities. A substantial proportion of hypertensive patients in this zone rely on traditional plant-based therapies, yet formal ethnopharmacological studies combined with bioactive constituent analysis are absent from the scientific literature for this population. This mixed-methods study systematically documents anti-hypertensive plants used in Yenagoa, Brass, and Sagbama local government areas and performs HPTLC and GC-MS-based bioactive constituent screening on the most frequently cited species. Ethnobotanical data were collected through guided interviews with 55 traditional healers and community health workers. Forty-two plant species were documented, of which Hibiscus sabdariffa, Allium sativum, Catharanthus roseus, and Rauwolfia vomitoria were most consistently cited. HPTLC fingerprinting of the top five species revealed distinct marker profiles. GC-MS analysis of volatile fractions identified known vasodilatory, ACE-inhibitory, and calcium channel-modulating compounds including linalool, geraniol, and alliin derivatives. The study cross-references identified constituents with available clinical pharmacology literature to construct a preliminary evidence matrix for each plant's anti-hypertensive plausibility. Rauwolfia vomitoria preparations require safety monitoring due to their reserpine content. This study provides the first systematic ethnopharmacological and chemical database for anti-hypertensive plants in Bayelsa State. Keywords: hypertension, ethnopharmacology, Bayelsa State, HPTLC, bioactive constituents