Antihypertensive effect of an extract of Passiflora edulis rind in spontaneously hypertensive rats

Orally administered methanol extract of Passiflora edulis rind (10 mg/kg or 50 mg/kg) or luteolin (50 mg/ kg), which is one of consistent polyphenols of the extract, significantly lowered systolic blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). Quantitative analysis by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) showed that the extract contained 20 mu g/g dry weight of luteolin and 41 mu g/g dry weight of luteolin-6-C-glucoside. It also contained gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA, 2.4 mg/g dry weight by LC-MS/MS or 4.4 mg/g dry weight by amino acid analysis) which has been reported to be an anti hypertensive material. Since the extract contained a relatively high concentration of GABA, the antihypertensive effect of the extract in SHRs might be due mostly to the GABA-induced antihypertensive effect and partially to the vasodilatory effect of polyphenols including luteolin.