PS 14-56 EFFECT OF WATERMELON JUICE CONSUMPTION ON BRACHIAL BLOOD PRESSURE AND GLOBAL ARGININE BIOAVAILABILITY RATIO AMONG SUDANESE HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study is: First, to test the hypothesis that watermelon juice supplementation as a rich source of L-arginine and L-citrulline reduces systolic and diastolic blood pressure among Sudanese hypertensive patients even at low concentrations ((L-citrulline/L-arginine: 1 g/0.5 g per day). Second: to assess the credibility of GABR as a biomarker for the progression of hypertension. Design and Method: among 31 stage 1 hypertensive Sudanese patients. Exclusion criteria included pregnancy, metabolic diseases, diabetes, liver, kidney and cardiovascular diseases. Participants received one liter of freshly prepared watermelon juice daily for three weeks (L-citrulline/L-arginine:1 g/0.5 g per day). Results: Results showed that watermelon juice supplement significantly increased plasma L-arginine, L-citrulline and L-ornithine levels and reduced brachial blood pressure and global arginine bioavailability ratio. Conclusions: On conclusion, we suggest that watermelon juice could be used as a potential natural hypotensive agent even at low doses. Although watermelon juice increases plasma arginine level, GABR may not be a useful biomarker to assess the progression of hypertension.