Antihypertensive effect of Benifuuki tea containing O-methylated EGCG.

Benifuuki is a tea cultivar with an antiallergic effect stronger than that of Yabukita tea, the most popular green tea cultivar consumed in Japan. The effective compound is (-)-epigallocatechin-3-O-(3-O-methyl)gallate (EGCG3''Me), an O-methylated derivative of EGCG. This study examined the antihypertensive effects of EGCG3''Me and Benifuuki tea. First, it was determined that EGCG3''Me has a significant inhibitory effect on the activity of angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE). Second, clinical trials showed that Benifuuki tea suppressed high blood pressure to a greater extent than green tea that did not contain EGCG3''Me after equal amounts of tea catechins were consumed for 8 weeks. The effect of Benifuuki tea on human hypertension is mainly the result of the strong inhibitory effect of EGCG3''Me on ACE activity, its high rate of absorption, and its stability in the blood.