Hypotensive Activity of Transgenic Rice Seed Accumulating Multiple Antihypertensive Peptides

Peptides derived from food protein have the potential to become antihypertensive agents with relatively few negative side effects. Herein, multiple antihypertensive peptides, extracted from the transgenic rice seed, were administered intragastrically into spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) with different dosages, resulting in a significant decrease in the systolic blood pressure (SBP). Furthermore, for a period of 5 weeks, daily intragastric administration of the transgenic rice flour also significantly reduced the SBP of SHRs but not the Wistar Kyoto normotensive rats (WNRs), most importantly, which did not affect the growth, development, or serum chemistry of SHRs or WNRs and did not cause any pathological changes. Our work provides an alternative source of natural antihypertensive agents.