Blood-pressure-lowering effect of fermented buckwheat sprouts in spontaneously hypertensive rats

A practical antihypertensive food, neo-fermented buckwheat sprouts (neo-FBS), was produced from buckwheat sprouts by lactic fermentation. The neo-FBS preparation gave a 12.7 times better yield and had a 10 times more potent blood-pressure-lowering (BPL) effect than conventionally prepared products. Neo-FBS decreased both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) at a dose of 0.010 mg/kg, an effect comparable to 1.0 mg/kg captopril, an anti-hypertensive drug. Orally administered neo-FBS (10 mg/kg) significantly decreased angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) activity in the lung, thoracic aorta, heart, kidney, and liver of SHRs. Neo-FBS had a detectable relaxing effect on a phenylephrine-precontracted thoracic aorta in SHRs at 0.5 mu g/mL and the EC50 value was 8.3 +/- 1.4 mu g/mL. The ACE inhibition and vasorelaxation activities were found to be responsible for the excellent BPL effect of neo-FBS. As SHR is a standard model for human hypertension, neo-FBS may also have BPL effects in human patients. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.