Anthocyanin-Rich Purple Corn Extract and Its Effects on the Blood Pressure of Adults

Abstract

This small-scale pilot study studied the potential benefit of taking a concentrated dose of anthocyanin 300 mg once a day for 3 weeks (purple corn extract) on blood pressure among untreated Peruvian adults with mild-to-moderate hypertension. A double-blind placebo-controlled randomized crossover trial using intention-to-treat analysis was conducted on 30 healthy men and women who received care at the Dos de Mayo Hospital (Lima, Peru) between September 2010 and August 2011. The 4-phase study compared blood pressure readings on placebo and on purple corn extract. Blood pressure readings decreased from baseline levels to end of study, especially after taking a purple corn extract capsule for 3 weeks, regardless of age, gender, body mass index level, or initial average blood pressure reading. Individuals who had higher blood pressure readings at baseline showed the most marked reduction in systolic and diastolic readings. Additional study of the possible mechanisms of action and the pharmacokinetics of purple corn extract warrants further investigation.

Phenolic Composition and Evaluation of the Antimicrobial Activity of Free and Bound Phenolic Fractions from a Peruvian Purple Corn (Zea mays L.) Accession

“…Several in vitro and in vivo studies with purple corn have reported anthocyanin‐linked functional properties such as antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, anti‐carcinogenic, and anti‐hyperglycemic activity (Hagiwara and others ; Tsuda and others ; Ranilla and others ; Li and others ; Ramos‐Escudero and others ; Long and others ). Furthermore, a previous study also reported a reduced risk of hypertension among Peruvian adults due to the daily consumption of anthocyanin‐rich purple corn extract for a 3‐wk period (Finkel and others ).…”

Primary and Phenolic Metabolites Analyses, In Vitro Health-Relevant Bioactivity and Physical Characteristics of Purple Corn (Zea mays L.) Grown at Two Andean Geographical Locations

“…Recent in vitro and in vivo studies have reported the antioxidant, anti-hyperglycemic, anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer potential of purple corn extracts [4,[11][12][13][14]. The antihypertensive effect of purple corn has also been demonstrated in a clinical study [15].…”

Physical and mechanical properties of maize extrudates as affected by the addition of chia and quinoa seeds and antioxidants

“…Purple corn is known as a good source of natural antioxidants (Pascual-Teresa et al, 2002) and its benefic effects on health are under active study (Finkel et al, 2013;Hosoda et al, 2012;Huang et al, 2015). It can also be considered as an interesting natural alternative for mitigating the oxidation of essential fatty acids during extrusion (Camire et al, 2007).…”