Summary Nicotianamine (NA) is a nonprotein amino acid that inhibits the angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) in the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). The purpose of this study is to prove that NA contributes to the suppression of hypertension by preferential inhibition of ACE. On comparison with EDTA-a chelator-we found that the inhibition pattern of NA for ACE is that of mixed inhibition and that NA exhibits weak chelation effects for zinc, copper, and cobalt ions. Therefore, we investigated whether NA inhibited zinc-containing enzymes other than ACE in vitro. The results revealed that NA does not inhibit leucine aminopeptidase or alkaline phosphatase in rat serum. On the other hand, NA demonstrated specific inhibitory effects for rat serum ACE and aortic ACE. These results suggest that the preferential inhibition of circulatory and tissue ACE by NA can contribute to the suppression of hypertension. Key Words nicotianamine, angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE), renin-angiotensin system (RAS), hypertensionThe renin-angiotensin system (RAS) plays an important role in the maintenance of blood pressure and fluid and electrolyte homeostasis. The primary enzymes involved in this process are renin (EC 3.4.23.15) and angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) (EC 3.4.15.1). ACE is a zinc-dependent carboxypeptidase that hydrolyzes di-and tri-peptides from the C-terminus of peptides. Each active site of the enzyme appears to bind one atom of zinc; this is crucial for its catalytic activity. Zinc is considered to participate directly in the catalysis of peptide substrates since its replacement with other divalent cations affects the rate of conversion with little effect on the substrate affinity.ACE inhibitors are now widely used for the treatment of patients with hypertensive disorders. However, a medicine is accompanied by side effects. Many investigators ( 1-5 ) have attempted to prepare and isolate an ACE inhibitor in various food substances. We have isolated and purified nicotianamine (NA) from several kinds of plants ( 6 -8 ). It has been reported that a longterm administration of NA exerts an antihypertensive effect in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) ( 7 ) and that it is absorbed from the intestine and detected in the blood after administration into the stomach in Tsukuba hypertensive mice (THM) ( 8 ). Furthermore, we established a quick and simple assay system for identifying the presence of NA in plants using the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method ( 9 ). If it can be proved that NA is absorbed from the intestinal tract and that it effectively affects the RAS that regulates the blood pressure, the prevention or improvement of hypertension without depending on a drug is possible through adequate daily dietary intake.NA, a chelator of metals, is ubiquitously present in higher plants. It chelates metal ions-such as iron-in plants and mediates their transport; further, it is considered to contribute to their stability within cells ( 10 ).In this study, we examined the chelation properties of NA with...