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A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Phytochemicals and Human Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 August 2023) | Viewed by 25305

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Dr. Kozo Nakamura

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Department of Agriculture, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Shinshu University, Nagano 399-4598, Japan
Interests: functional foods; food factors in vegetables to promote human health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Over the past 30 years, the number of hypertensive adults aged 30–79 has increased from 650 million to 1.28 billion, nearly half of whom did not know they had high blood pressure. High blood pressure is a major factor in death and disease worldwide, significantly increasing the risk of heart, brain, and kidney disease. Daily diet is important for improvement of hypertension, and the effects of food factors on blood pressure have been studied.

In this Special Issue, we are calling for articles on improving blood pressure with food factors such as functional food, nutrient, and dietary patterns, including instrumental analysis of antihypertensive food components, animal studies, and clinical studies for contribution to human health.

It has been demonstrated that agricultural crops contain acetylcholine, and daily intake of eggplant, which contains abundant acetylcholine, improves blood pressure in humans. These results revealed that acetylcholine, known as a neurotransmitter of vertebrate, is a novel functional food component. This means that there may still be many other unknown food factors which are useful for blood pressure control. Therefore, this Special Issue also welcomes cutting-edge research on the bioactivity of novel functional food components. In addition, studies on the effective improvement of blood pressure through personalized nutrition, including absorption kinetics, metabolic fate, and action mechanism of food components, are welcome.

If you are engaged in research on food factors to improve blood pressure, we sincerely invite you to contribute.

Dr. Kozo Nakamura
Guest Editor

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Keywords

human health
hypertension
nutrients
functional foods

Published Papers (7 papers)

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13 pages, 2988 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Antihypertensive and Vasorelaxant Effects of Citric Acid and Lemon Juice in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats: In Vivo and Ex Vivo Studies

by Kozo Nakamura, Yumiko Suzuki, Kazuma Goto, Shohei Yamaguchi and Masanori Hiramitsu

Nutrients 2023, 15(17), 3849; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15173849 - 3 Sep 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3058

Abstract

Hypertension is a key risk factor for heart, brain, and kidney disease development. Fruit consumption has been associated with a decrease in blood pressure. Lemon juice, which contains antihypertensive compounds, may exert antihypertensive effects. However, no research has verified the antihypertensive effects of citric acid, the most abundant ingredient in lemon juice. In the present study, we demonstrated the antihypertensive effects of citric acid and lemon juice by performing single oral administration tests and the aortic ring assay using spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). Single oral doses of both agents markedly reduced the systolic and diastolic blood pressures in the SHRs. In addition, both these agents relaxed the thoracic aorta from the SHRs; however, these effects were notably attenuated by the removal of the aortic endothelium. Orally administered citric acid was rapidly absorbed and metabolized in vivo. Among the functional compounds in lemon juice, citric acid was identified as the primary antihypertensive component. Although more detailed studies are required to validate our findings, the novel functional attributes of citric acid can achieve the normalization of blood pressure when it is consumed via diet. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Foods and Hypertension)

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13 pages, 1145 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Abalone Viscera Fermented with Aspergillus oryzae 001 Prevents Pressure Elevation by Inhibiting Angiotensin Converting Enzyme

by Natsumi Iwamoto, Asahi Sasaki, Tomoaki Maizawa and Naoko Hamada-Sato

Nutrients 2023, 15(4), 947; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15040947 - 14 Feb 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1761

Abstract

Abalone viscera, which accounts for more than 20% of the total weight of abalone, is generally regarded as waste in the food industry, and effective methods are required to utilize it productively. In this study, the viscera were fermented with Aspergillus oryzae 001 to add functionality. Fermented abalone viscera exhibited increased angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity and enhanced inhibition of blood pressure elevation in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). Abalone viscera administration had no significant effect on body weight, food intake, liver and kidney weights, or serum components in SHRs. ACE inhibitors specific to fermented abalone viscera were identified through extraction, fractionation, purification, and analysis. The identified substance was L-m-tyrosine, which non-competitively inhibited ACE and, in a single oral administration, significantly reduced blood pressure in SHRs compared to that in the control. This study identified that abalone viscera fermented by A. oryzae 001 has an inhibitory effect on blood pressure elevation, suggesting its potential use as a functional food. In addition, L-m-tyrosine, a unique substance in fermented abalone viscera, was isolated for the first time as a single ACE-inhibitory amino acid. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Foods and Hypertension)

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12 pages, 2762 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Perinatal Garlic Oil Supplementation Averts Rat Offspring Hypertension Programmed by Maternal Chronic Kidney Disease

by You-Lin Tain, Chih-Yao Hou, Guo-Ping Chang-Chien, Sufan Lin and Chien-Ning Hsu

Nutrients 2022, 14(21), 4624; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14214624 - 2 Nov 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1873

Abstract

Garlic (Allium sativum) is a functional food, having hydrogen sulfide (H₂S)-releasing capacity, which exhibits considerable effects on hypertension and gut microbiota. H₂S is strongly associated with hypertension and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Maternal CKD leads to hypertension in adult rat progeny, which was linked to disruption of the gut microbiota. This study validated the benefits of perinatal garlic oil supplementation against offspring hypertension induced by maternal CKD via modulation of H₂S signaling, nitric oxide (NO), and the gut microbiota. Before pregnancy, female rats received a 0.5% adenine diet for 3 weeks to develop an animal model to mimic human CKD. Garlic oil (100 mg/kg/day) or vehicle was administered to pregnant rats by oral gavage during gestation and lactation. Perinatal garlic oil supplementation protected against maternal CKD-induced hypertension in offspring at 12 weeks of age. The beneficial effects of garlic oil are associated with enhanced H₂S signaling, increased NO bioavailability, and shifts in gut microbiota. Perinatal garlic oil supplementation reduces abundance of genera Variovorax, Nocardia, Sphingomonas, and Rhodococcus. Our findings provide insight into the role of early H₂S-targeted intervention as a preventive strategy in hypertension for further translational research. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Foods and Hypertension)

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16 pages, 1699 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Serum Metabolomics and Proteomics to Study the Antihypertensive Effect of Protein Extracts from Tenebrio molitor

by Roberto Stella, Caterina Peggion, Caterina Bergantin, Giancarlo Biancotto, Maria Frosini, Elena Dreassi, Paola Marcolongo, Anna Maria Aloisi and Federica Pessina

Nutrients 2022, 14(16), 3288; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14163288 - 11 Aug 2022

Viewed by 2174

Abstract

Hypertension is the leading risk factor for premature death worldwide and significantly contributes to the development of all major cardiovascular disease events. The management of high blood pressure includes lifestyle changes and treatment with antihypertensive drugs. Recently, it was demonstrated that a diet supplemented with Tenebrio molitor (TM) extracts is useful in the management of numerous pathologies, including hypertension. This study is aimed at unveiling the underlying mechanism and the molecular targets of intervention of TM dietary supplementation in hypertension treatment by means of proteomics and metabolomics techniques based on liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry. We demonstrate that serum proteome and metabolome of spontaneously hypertensive rats are severely altered with respect to their normotensive counterparts. Additionally, our results reveal that a diet enriched with TM extracts restores the expression of 15 metabolites and 17 proteins mainly involved in biological pathways associated with blood pressure maintenance, such as the renin–angiotensin and kallikrein–kinin systems, serin protease inhibitors, reactive oxygen scavenging, and lipid peroxidation. This study provides novel insights into the molecular pathways that may underlie the beneficial effects of TM, thus corroborating that TM could be proposed as a helpful functional food supplement in the treatment of hypertension. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Foods and Hypertension)

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17 pages, 22520 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Elucidation of Anti-Hypertensive Mechanism by a Novel Lactobacillus rhamnosus AC1 Fermented Soymilk in the Deoxycorticosterone Acetate-Salt Hypertensive Rats

by Haicui Wu, Lilong Jiang, Tim-Fat Shum and Jiachi Chiou

Nutrients 2022, 14(15), 3174; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14153174 - 2 Aug 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2270

Abstract

Dietary intake of fermented soymilk is associated with hypotensive effects, but the mechanisms involved have not been fully elucidated. We investigated the anti-hypertensive effects of soymilk fermented by L. rhamnosus AC1 on DOCA-salt hypertension from the point of view of oxidative stress, inflammatory response and alteration of the gut microbiome. The antioxidant assays in vitro indicated the ethanol extract (EE) of L. rhamnosus AC1 fermented soymilk showed better antioxidative effects than the water extract (WE). Those extracts displayed a hypotensive effect using a tail-cuff approach to measuring blood pressure and improved nitric oxide (NO), angiotensin II (Ang II), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin factor-6 (IL-6) on DOCA-salt hypertensive rats. Furthermore, cardiac and renal fibrosis were attenuated by those extracts. The gut microbiota analysis revealed that they significantly reduced the abundance of phylum Proteobacteria, its family Enterobacteriaceae and genus Escherichia-Shigella. Moreover, metabolomic profiling revealed several potential gut microbiota-related metabolites which appeared to involve in the development and recovery of hypertension. In conclusion, fermented soymilk is a promising nutritional intervention strategy to improve hypertension via reducing inflammation and reverting dysbiotic microbiota. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Foods and Hypertension)

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14 pages, 937 KiB

Open AccessSystematic Review

Coffee Consumption and Risk of Hypertension in Adults: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

by Fahimeh Haghighatdoost, Parisa Hajihashemi, Amanda Maria de Sousa Romeiro, Noushin Mohammadifard, Nizal Sarrafzadegan, Cesar de Oliveira and Erika Aparecida Silveira

Nutrients 2023, 15(13), 3060; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15133060 - 7 Jul 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 5196

Abstract

Objectives: The association between coffee intake and hypertension (HTN) risk is controversial. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed at summarizing the current evidence on the association of coffee with hypertension risk in observational studies. Methods: PubMed/Medline and Web of Science were searched for observational studies up to February 2023. Observational studies which assessed the risk of HTN in the highest category of coffee consumption in comparison with the lowest intake were included in the current meta-analysis (registration number: CRD42022371494). The pooled effect of coffee on HTN was evaluated using a random-effects model. Results: Twenty-five studies i.e., thirteen cross-sectional studies and twelve cohorts were identified to be eligible. Combining 13 extracted effect sizes from cohort studies showed that higher coffee consumption was associated with 7% reduction in the risk of HTN (95% CI: 0.88, 0.97; I²: 22.3%), whereas combining 16 effect sizes from cross-sectional studies illustrated a greater reduction in HTN risk (RR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.72, 0.87; I² = 63.2%). These results varied by studies characteristics, such as the region of study, participants’ sex, study quality, and sample size. Conclusions: An inverse association was found between coffee consumption and hypertension risk in both cross-sectional and cohort studies. However, this association was dependent on studies characteristics. Further studies considering such factors are required to confirm the results of this study. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Foods and Hypertension)

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23 pages, 1045 KiB

Open AccessSystematic Review

Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension via Indo-Mediterranean Foods, May Be Superior to DASH Diet Intervention

by Ram B. Singh, Fatemeh Nabavizadeh, Jan Fedacko, Dominik Pella, Natalia Vanova, Patrik Jakabcin, Ghizal Fatima, Rie Horuichi, Toru Takahashi, Viliam Mojto, Lekh Juneja, Shaw Watanabe and Andrea Jakabcinova

Nutrients 2023, 15(1), 46; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15010046 - 22 Dec 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 7436

Abstract

Western-type diet with high salt and sugar, sedentary behavior, obesity, tobacco and alcoholism are important risk factors for hypertension. This review aims to highlight the role of western diet-induced oxidative stress and inflammation in the pathogenesis of hypertension and the role of various types of diets in its prevention with reference to dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) diet. It seems that it is crucial to alter the western type of diet because such diets can also predispose all CVDs. Western diet-induced oxidative stress is characterized by excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) with an altered oxidation-reduction (redox) state, leading to a marked increase in inflammation and vascular dysfunction. Apart from genetic and environmental factors, one important cause for differences in the prevalence of hypertension in various countries may be diet quality, deficiency in functional foods, and salt consumption. The role of the DASH diet has been established. However, there are gaps in knowledge about the role of some Indo-Mediterranean foods and Japanese foods, which have been found to decrease blood pressure (BP) by improving vascular function. The notable Indo-Mediterranean foods are pulses, porridge, spices, and millets; fruits such as guava and blackberry and vegetables, which may also decrease BPs. The Japanese diet consists of soya tofu, whole rice, in particular medical rice, vegetables and plenty of fish rich in fish oil, fish peptides and taurine that are known to decrease BPs. Epidemiological studies and randomized, controlled trials have demonstrated the role of these diets in the prevention of hypertension and metabolic diseases. Such evidence is still meager from Japan, although the prevalence of hypertension is lower (15–21%) compared to other developed countries, which may be due to the high quality of the Japanese diet. Interestingly, some foods, such as berries, guava, pumpkin seeds, carrots, soya beans, and spices, have been found to cause a decrease in BPs. Omega-3 fatty acids, fish peptide, taurine, dietary vitamin D, vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, flavonoids, nitrate and l-arginine are potential nutrients that can also decrease BPs. Larger cohort studies and controlled trials are necessary to confirm our views. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Foods and Hypertension)

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