Changes in the gut microbiota induced by an oral formulation of multiple peptides and plants contribute to its antihypertensive effects

The homeostasis of the gut microbiota is a crucial factor in regulating peripheral and central blood pressure. Formulating a food-derived mixture of antioxidants, anti-inflammatory compounds and prebiotics to maintain the homeostasis of the gut microbiota will be essential for preventing and alleviating hypertension. Although bioactive peptides and plant extracts have been demonstrated not only to be excellent antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents but also to promote the homeostasis of the microbiota, few studies have investigated the influence of multiple peptides mixed with plant extracts on the gut microbiota of hypertensive rats. This is the first study to characterize the fecal microbiome of spontaneously hypertensive rats supplemented with a mixture of multiple peptides and plant extracts by integrating 16 S rRNA gene sequencing. During the six-week experiment, the animals were healthy and without mortality. The results revealed that oral supplementation with the formulation reduced both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, improved the gut microbiota by increasing the ratio of Bacteroidetes to Firmicutes, and increased the relative abundance of specific genera, such as Lactobacillus. This study suggested that a synergistic formulation of multiple peptides mixed with plant extracts could be a novel strategy for preventing and alleviating hypertensive diseases.