Oral administration of purple passion fruit peel extract attenuates blood pressure in female spontaneously hypertensive rats and humans

Abstract Hypertension is one of the most important modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. We investigated the potential antihypertensive effect of the purple passion fruit peel (PFP) extract, a mixture of bioflavonoids, phenolic acids, and anthocyanins, in spontaneously hypertensive rats and human. A high-performance liquid chromatography analysis was performed to identify the active ingredients of the PFP extract. In a rat liver toxicity assay, no hepatotoxicity was observed after 9 hours incubation in the presence of PFP extract (20 μ g/mL). The PFP extract also revealed hepatoprotection against chloroform (1 mmol/L)-induced liver injury. In the experimental model, 24 spontaneously hypertensive rats were divided into 3 treatment groups for a period of 8weeks: control group and groups fed diet supplemented with either 10 or 50 mg/kg PFP extract. The diet supplemented with PFP extract at 50 mg/kg significantly lowered systolic blood pressure by 12.3mm Hg ( P P P