• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.29 no.10
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• pp.1087-1095
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• 1996

The study was carried out to investigate a new type of functional foods with hypotensive effect which is critical in the prevention and treatment of hypertension and related circulatory diseases. The experimental diets(A, B, C) were prepared from plant based ingredients such as buckwheat, potato, perilla seed with different ratios formulated as an edible form appropriate for human consumption according to AIN-77 standard. Control group(D) was fed commercial rat chow. Twety-four 15-week-old SDR(Sprague Dawley rats) and twenty-four 20-week-old SHR(spontaneously hypertensive rats), weighing 200g respectively, were assigned to 4 treatments of 6 rats each in a completely randomized design. Blood pressure was measured at 7 day interval by tail-cuff sphygmomanometer using an IITC cuff pump and amplifier. The growth rates of both SHR and SDR were not statistically different in comparions with the control except those of diet B and C in SDR and SHR, respectively(p<0.05). When exprimental diets were fed, systolic blood pressure of SDR and SHR at day 28 had been lowered by 17-20 mmHg(ave. of 19.6mmHg for both strains) compared with the reference pressure at day 0. The levels of HDL-cholesterol were increased, while the levels of LDL-cholesterol consistently decreased in both strains when experimental diets were fed(p<.05). Plasma total cholesterol levels were not different among treatments. Plasma triglyceride levels were higher in control diet(commercial rat chow) due to two times higher fat content of control diet itself(p<.05). Atherogenic indices were lower compared to those of control when the experimental diets were fed in both strains (p,.05). The results suggest that the antihypertensive diets mainly consisting of plant-based ingredients may possibly effective in relieving hypertension as well as circulatory diseases.