Gastrodia elata Bl. (GE) is a traditional herbal medicine used for the treatment hypertension and cerebrovascular disease. The purpose of this study was to investigate the antioxidant effect and blood pressure control ability of the GABA containing fermented Gastrodia elata Blume. The fermentation strain provided by Dr. Gi in Seoul National University is L. brevis GABA100, excellent strain of GABA production, which is involved in the ability to degrade gastrodin glycosides and activation of brain function. The Gastrodia elata Blume fermented by Lactobacillus brevis GABA 100 showed antioxidant activity (total phenolic contents, DPPH radical and ABTS anion scavenging activities) than unfermented Gastrodia elata Blume. In the spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), the concentration of fermented Gastrodia elata Blume was administered at 500, 1,000, and 2,000 mg/kg for 8 weeks. Systolic blood pressure decreased statistically significantly (p<0.05), especially 2 weeks after feeding fermented Gastrodia elata Blume. Also, it showed a significant decrease in low, medium, and high concentrations of fermented Gastrodia elata Blume at 4 weeks and 8 weeks. These results indicated that Gastrodia elata Blume fermented by the excellent strain of GABA production L. brevis GABA100 shows the antioxidant function and the effect of suppressing the increase in blood pressure.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of brown rice and brown rice phytosterol on blood pressure and lipid levels in spontaneously hypertension rats (SHR). SHR were grouped according to blood pressure and fed either a control diet or experimental diets containing 50% brown rice powder or 5% brown rice phytosterol for 3 weeks. Body weight gain and epididymal fat weight were significantly reduced in the brown rice powder and brown rice phytosterol groups compared to control. Brown rice and brown rice phytosterol diets suppressed age-dependent increases in systolic blood pressure compared to control. In addition, brown rice and brown rice phytosterol diets decreased total lipid, triglyceride, and cholesterol levels in the liver, whereas serum HDL cholesterol increased. Lastly, brown rice phytosterol reduced TBARS contents in the kidney. These results suggest that brown rice and brown rice phytosterol exert antihypertensive effects that improve lipid metabolism in SHR.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of Takju lees hot water extracts on the blood pressure in spontaneously hypertension rats (SHR). Twenty eight male SHR were grouped by their blood pressure and fed a control diet or experimental diets containing 1% (G1), 2% (G2), or 4% (G4) Takju lees extracts for 4 weeks. Food intake was not significantly different among the groups. However, body weight gain was significantly lower in groups fed the Takju lees extract than the control group. The systolic blood pressure was significantly lower in the Takju lees extract containing groups (especially in G4 group) than the control groups. In addition, mean blood pressure {(systolic+dyastolic)/2} decreased with an increase in the amount of Takju lees extract in the diet and feeding period. Takju lees extract decreased angiotensin I converting enzyme (ACE) activity in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that the Takju lees extract exert an antihypertensive effect by decreasing ACE activity.

Non processed onion (Allium cepa L.) powder or onion powder processed with β-cyclodextrin+1% calcium chloride+1% soluble starch solution was added to the diet of 16 week old Wistar and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) for 5 weeks. 36 SHR and Wistar rats were randomly divided into 3 diet groups, each of six. They were named control, NPO (non processed onion), PO (processed onion). The rats of the control group were fed diet without onion powder. To NPO and PO groups were added 5% of non processed onion and processed onion, respectively. Body weight gain, food efficiency ratio (FER), blood pressure, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) activity and Na excretion of urine and feces were analyzed. The processed onion and non processed onion diet reduced body weight gain without affeting the total food intake in Wistar rats (p〈0.05). The body weight gain was lowest in Wistar rats fed with a diet with processed onion powder. The rats fed with diet containing PO or NPO had lower blood systolic blood pressure in SHR (p〈0.05). The effect of onion powder on decreasing the blood pressure was not significant in Wistar rats. The ACE activity in lung was lowered in the SHR fed with either PO or NPO (p〈0.05) compared to those fed with control diet. The urinary Na excretion was significantly lower in SHR than Wistar rats. The effects of PO and NPO on increasing the urinary and fecal excretion of Na were significant (p〈0.05). These results suggest that onion processed with β-cyclodextrin+1%+1% calcium chloride+1% soluble starch solution to reduce volatile flavor, browning and caking preserves an antihypertensive effect of non processed onion.