Abstract: This paper showed antihypertensive effect and mechanism of low molecuLar weight citrus pectin (LCP) in hypertensive rats.Treatment with different doses of LCP for 8 consecutive weeks,every two weeks non-invasive diagnosis of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR rats) blood pressure and heart rate were measured.After administration Serum levels of angiotensin II,calcitonin gene-related peptide and serum nitric oxide and nitric oxide synthase were detected.The results showed that compared with the model control group,the systolic blood pressure of the high dose (30 mL/kg) LCP group was significantly decreased at 2 and 6 weeks (P<0.05),After 4 weeks,the heart rate of rats in high dose (30 mL/kg) and medium dose (20 mL/kg) LCP groups continued to decrease significantly (P<0.05).After administration of high dose (30 mL/kg) LCP group,the serum level of angiotensin II was significantly decreased (P<0.01),calcitonin gene related peptide (P<0.05),and nitric oxide significantly increased (P<0.05).Histopathological examination showed that each dose of LCP have no effect on rat liver and kidney.Studies have shown that LCP has a significant antihypertensive effect on essential hypertension;the effect may be related to its lower serum angiotensin II,endothelin -1,elevated serum calcitonin gene-related peptide,nitric oxide.

Key words: low molecuLar weight citrus pectin, hypertension