(–)-Epicatechin reduces blood pressure and improves vasorelaxation in spontaneously hypertensive rats by NO-mediated mechanism

Studies in humans have found consumption of certain flavanoid-containing foods to be associated with improvement in endothelial function and with reduction of blood pressure (BP). (-)-Epicatechin is a compound representative of the flavanols (a subfamily of flavonoids), abundant in cocoa seeds, which is preserved during the industrialization process to chocolate. The antihypertensive effect of dietary (-)-epicatechin was investigated on spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Consumption of (-)-epicatechin-supplemented diet (3 g (-)-epicatechin/kg diet) decreased blood pressu re (BP) in SHR by 27 and 23 mm of Hg on days 2 and 6, respectively. On day 6,a 173% increase of nitric oxide (NO) synthase activity was observed in the aorta of EPI-SHR as compared to non-supplemented SHR (p