Extraction of hypotensive principles from seeds of Cassia tora

Seeds of Cassia tora Linn. (Leguminosae) are known in Chinese medicinal herbal practice as Chueh-ming-tzu. Aqueous and methanol extracts from these seeds elicit hypotensive effects on anesthetized rats. Preliminary phytochemical studies show that the active hypotensive principles are derived from the kernel of the seed and consist of mainly glycosides.