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Pharmacologia

Year: 2015 | Volume: 6 | Issue: 8 | Page No.: 371-376
DOI: 10.17311/pharmacologia.2015.371.376
Antihypertensive Effects of Apple Peel Extract on Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats
Nileeka Balasuriya, H.P. Vasantha Rupasinghe, Marva Sweeney, Shelby McCarron and Katherine Gottschall-Pass

Abstract: Background and Objectives: Apple peel is a rich source of biological active phytochemicals such as flavonoids. The present study investigated the antihypertensive effect of flavonoid-rich Apple Peel Extract (APE) on Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats (SHR). Methodology: Three groups of animals: Control, captopril (20 mg kg–1 of body weight/day) and APE (25 mg kg–1 of body weight/day) were fed standard rat chow and their corresponding treatment in sugar-free gelatin, daily for a period of eight weeks. Blood Pressure (BP) was monitored weekly using the tail cuff method. Blood and tissue samples were collected after the eighth week. Results: As expected, treatment with captopril consistently reduced BP (p<0.05). APE treatment reduced both systolic and diastolic BP by 15 and 11 mg Hg, respectively, after 5 weeks of treatment, However, statistical significance was only achieved in systolic BP after eight weeks when compared with control (p<0.05). There were no significant differences in serum and lung ACE activity at week eight. Treatment with APE increased liver superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity by 78% and total reduced Glutathione (GSH) concentrations by 42% when compared to control (p<0.05) but had no effect on the activity of glutathione reductase or peroxidase. Conclusion: Long term intake of APE reduces high blood pressure in SHR possibly through endogenous antioxidant pathways. This preclinical trial suggests that APE as a dietary supplement could be effective in managing early stages of hypertension.

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How to cite this article
Nileeka Balasuriya, H.P. Vasantha Rupasinghe, Marva Sweeney, Shelby McCarron and Katherine Gottschall-Pass, 2015. Antihypertensive Effects of Apple Peel Extract on Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats. Pharmacologia, 6: 371-376.

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