Faculty of Sport and Health Science, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu 525-8577, Japan.
Research Fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo 102-0083, Japan.
Nutrients. 2022 Dec 7;14(24):5199. doi: 10.3390/nu14245199.
Wild watermelon contains various nutrients, but the effect of its acute ingestion on arterial stiffness is unclear. This study aimed to investigate whether a single bout of acute ingestion of wild watermelon-extracted juice decreased arterial stiffness concomitant with an increase in nitric oxide (NO) production. Twelve healthy young female participants were tested under two conditions in a randomized, double-blind crossover study: (1) a beverage containing 90 g of wild watermelon extract and (2) a control beverage: a placebo. Pulse wave velocity (PWV), an index of arterial stiffness, blood flow, and plasma nitrate/nitrite (NOx) levels were measured in the supine position at 30, 60, and 90 min after the intake of each beverage. The changes in femoral-ankle PWV were significantly reduced after wild watermelon-extracted juice intake compared to those in the placebo group. Additionally, the changes in blood flow in the posterior tibial artery and plasma NOx levels after intake of wild watermelon-extracted juice were significantly increased compared to those in the placebo group. These data show that acute ingestion of wild watermelon-extracted juice reduces peripheral (lower limb) arterial stiffness and increases NO bioavailability. To confirm these associations, more detailed investigations of the nutrients that influence these effects should be conducted.
野生西瓜含有各种营养成分，但它对动脉僵硬的急性摄入的影响尚不清楚。本研究旨在探讨单次急性摄入野生西瓜提取汁是否会降低动脉僵硬，同时增加一氧化氮（NO）的产生。在一项随机、双盲交叉研究中，12 名健康年轻女性参与者在两种情况下接受了测试：（1）含有 90 克野生西瓜提取物的饮料，（2）对照饮料：安慰剂。在摄入每种饮料后 30、60 和 90 分钟，在仰卧位测量脉搏波速度（PWV），这是动脉僵硬的指标，以及血流量和血浆硝酸盐/亚硝酸盐（NOx）水平。与安慰剂组相比，野生西瓜提取汁摄入后股踝 PWV 的变化明显降低。此外，与安慰剂组相比，摄入野生西瓜提取汁后后胫骨动脉血流量和血浆 NOx 水平的变化明显增加。这些数据表明，急性摄入野生西瓜提取汁可降低外周（下肢）动脉僵硬并增加 NO 的生物利用度。为了证实这些关联，应更详细地研究影响这些效应的营养物质。
