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. 2011 Jan;48(1):63-7.
doi: 10.3164/jcbn.11-010FR. Epub 2010 Dec 28.

Cocoa flavanols: effects on vascular nitric oxide and blood pressure

César G Fraga  1 , María C Litterio, Paula D Prince, Valeria Calabró, Bárbara Piotrkowski, Mónica Galleano
Affiliations

Cocoa flavanols: effects on vascular nitric oxide and blood pressure

César G Fraga et al. J Clin Biochem Nutr. 2011 Jan.

Abstract

Diets rich in fruits and vegetables have been associated with benefits for human health. Those effects have been partially ascribed to their content in flavonoids, compounds that are present in many edible plants and its derived foods. In humans, a significant number of studies has been developed analyzing the effect of foods and beverages rich in flavonoids on the presence and progression of risk factors associated to cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension. Cocoa derived products, rich in flavanols, have been thoroughly studied and demonstrated to be efficient improving endothelial function and decreasing blood pressure in humans and animals. However, the final chemical species and the mechanism/s responsible for these effects have not been completely defined. In this paper we present data supporting the hypothesis that flavanols could define superoxide anion production and then, establish optimal nitric oxide levels and blood pressure.

Keywords: (−)-epicatechin; antioxidants; nitric oxide; oxidants.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Dietary (−)-epicatechin (EC) and blood pressure. A: chemical structure of EC; B: systolic blood pressure (SBP) of rats subjected to L-NAME pre-treatment (40 mg/kg/d in drinking water) for 6 days; and C: SBP of rats administered with L-NAME (open square), or L-NAME + EC 0.4 g/100 g diet (closed square) during the subsequent 8 days. Sprague–Dawley rats (130–140 g) were maintained under controlled housing conditions. SBP was measured in preconditioned, conscious and restrained rats by tail-cuff plethysmography. Data are presented as means ± SEM. Groups were compared using ANOVA. *: p<0.05 respect to day zero of treatment (B), or to L-NAME treated rats (C).
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
NO and superoxide anion in the vasculature. Normal BP should be the resultant of sufficient steady-state concentration of NO. White arrows indicate the steps in which (−)-epicatechin has been shown to exert biochemical actions resulting in its antihypertensive actions.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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