Insights to potential antihypertensive activity of berry fruits

Abstract

Hypertension is one of the main risk factors for cardiovascular disease and causes widespread morbidity and mortality worldwide. Although several antihypertensive drugs have been proposed for management of high blood pressure, changing lifestyle, including diet, has attracted interest recently. In this sense, consumption of fruits and vegetables, which are rich in vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals, has been assigned as an efficient therapeutics. Berry fruits contain various bioactive compounds with potential health implications such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, and anti‐inflammatory properties. The main mechanisms responsible for antihypertensive activity mainly arise from the activity of flavonoids, minerals, and vitamins, as well as fibers. The objective of this review is to provide a summary of studies regarding the effect of berry fruits on the hypertensive animals and humans. The mechanisms involved in reducing blood pressure by each group of compounds have been highlighted. It can be concluded that berries' bioactive compounds are efficient in mitigation of hypertension through improvement of vascular function, angiotensin‐converting enzyme's (ACE) inhibitory activity, increasing endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activity, and nitric oxide (NO) production, besides anti‐oxidative and anti‐inflammatory activities. These fruits can be considered as potential sources of invaluable compounds for development of antihypertensive foods and pharmaceuticals.

Ajuga bracteosa Exerts Antihypertensive Activity in l-NAME-Induced Hypertension Possibly through Modulation of Oxidative Stress, Proinflammatory Cytokines, and the Nitric Oxide/Cyclic Guanosine Monophosphate Pathway

“…The absorption band for A. bracteosa appearing in the range of 500–4000 cm –1 is due to the presence of functional groups such as carboxylic acid, phenolics, esters, and saccharides. 39 Polyphenols are known to have beneficial effects on hypertension by acting as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and endothelium-modulating agents 40 The HPLC analysis of the A. bracteosa extract identified qurecetin, gallic acid, caffeic acid, vanillic acid, benzoic acid, syringic acid, p -coumaric acid, ferulic acid, and coumarin, which forms the basis for the use of A. bracteosa as an antihypertensive agent. As mentioned, the A. bracteosa extract used in the present study contained flavonoids including quercetin.…”

Antihypertensive Effects of the Methanol Extract and the Ethyl Acetate Fraction from Crinum zeylanicum (Amaryllidaceae) Leaves in L-NAME-Treated Rat

“…In the present study, the effects of the methanol extract of the leaves of C. zeylanicum and its ethyl acetate fraction on arterial hypertension and the renal function were evaluated in L-NAME treated rats. It has been extensively shown that polyphenols, especially flavonoid compounds, possess antihypertensive effects and that this activity is closely related to their antioxidant capacities [ 21 – 23 ]. Based on this knowledge, we hypothesized that C. zeylanicum extracts may induce their claimed antihypertensive effects thanks to their content in polyphenols and flavonoids.…”

Aroma characterization and in vitro antihypertensive activity of Amazonian Camu-camu (Myrciaria dubia) fruit

“…In fact, phenolic compounds such as flavonoids, and ellagitannins in berries like strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa), blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum), or raspberry (Rubus idaeus), and seems to have played an important role in the modulation of chronic hypertension (Yousefi et al, 2020).…”