Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals Unit, Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria.
J Med Food. 2023 Aug;26(8):586-594. doi: 10.1089/jmf.2023.0050.
In folk medicine, the almond nut () and orange peel () are cost-effective sources of nutraceutical utilized in the treatment of degenerative diseases. Hyperlipidemia and hypertension are two pathological conditions implicated in cardiovascular disorders. This study sought to evaluate the cardiomodulatory effect of almond-citrus peel fortified shortbread in hyperlipidemic-hypertensive rats induced by high fat diet and ω-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester. The experimental animals were divided into eight groups. The experimental rats were fed with shortbread supplemented with almond and citrus peel at varying inclusions of 0.2% citrus, 50% almond, and almond (50%)- citrus (0.2%) for 21 days. The mean arterial blood pressure (MABP), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and lipid profile of the experimental rats were measured. Thereafter, the activities of angiotensin-1-converting enzyme (ACE), arginase, malondialdehyde (MDA), phosphodiesterase-5, nitric oxide (NO), and antioxidant indices were evaluated. The result showed significant elevation in SBP, MABP, blood cholesterol, triglyceride, ACE, arginase, activities, and MDA levels in the heart tissue of the untreated rats. In contrast, the antioxidant status and NO level were significantly decreased in the untreated groups. Remarkably, the treatment with almond-citrus peel fortified shortbread and the individual effect of almond (50%) and citrus peel (0.2%) all reversed these trends in the hyperlipidemic-hypertensive rats. Intriguingly, the blend of almond (50%)-citrus peel (0.2%) fortified shortbread showed the best antioxidative and cardioprotective effect. The results suggest that almond and citrus peel offer potentials as therapeutic agent in the prevention and management of hyperlipidemia and hypertension.
在民间医学中，杏仁（almond nut）和陈皮（orange peel）是具有成本效益的营养保健品来源，可用于治疗退行性疾病。高血脂和高血压是心血管疾病相关的两种病理状况。本研究旨在评估杏仁-陈皮强化酥饼对高脂肪饮食和ω-硝基-l-精氨酸甲酯诱导的高血脂-高血压大鼠的心脏调节作用。将实验动物分为八组。实验组大鼠喂食添加杏仁和陈皮的酥饼，陈皮添加量分别为 0.2%、50%和 50%-0.2%，持续 21 天。测量实验大鼠的平均动脉血压（mean arterial blood pressure，MABP）、收缩压（systolic blood pressure，SBP）和血脂谱。然后，评估实验大鼠血管紧张素转化酶（angiotensin-1-converting enzyme，ACE）、精氨酸酶、丙二醛（malondialdehyde，MDA）、磷酸二酯酶-5、一氧化氮（nitric oxide，NO）和抗氧化指标的活性。结果显示，未经处理的大鼠的 SBP、MABP、血胆固醇、甘油三酯、ACE、精氨酸酶活性和 MDA 水平显著升高。相比之下，未经处理组的抗氧化状态和 NO 水平显著降低。值得注意的是，杏仁-陈皮强化酥饼的治疗以及杏仁（50%）和陈皮（0.2%）的单独作用都逆转了这些在高血脂-高血压大鼠中的趋势。有趣的是，杏仁（50%）-陈皮（0.2%）强化酥饼的混合物显示出最佳的抗氧化和心脏保护作用。结果表明，杏仁和陈皮具有作为治疗高血脂和高血压的治疗剂的潜力。
