Hazelnut peptide YYLLVR reduces blood pressure 53 mmHg by activating ACE2 in hypertensive rats | Research

The takeaway

Hazelnut-derived peptide YYLLVR reduced systolic BP by 53.48 mmHg and diastolic BP by 37.57 mmHg in hypertensive rats while doubling ACE2 expression and reducing endothelial dysfunction markers.

-53 mmHg blood pressure
A single hazelnut-derived peptide reduced systolic BP by 53 mmHg through ACE2 activation—a novel mechanism distinct from conventional ACE inhibitors

What the researchers found

YYLLVR: SBP -53.48 mmHg, DBP -37.57 mmHg. ACE2 expression increased 2-fold. Endothelial dysfunction markers improved (p<0.05 for multiple endpoints). Tested in SHR model.

Why it matters

Identifying a food-derived peptide that activates ACE2 (rather than blocking ACE) represents a novel antihypertensive mechanism. ACE2 converts harmful angiotensin II to protective ang-(1-7).

How the study worked

Spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) model. YYLLVR peptide administration with BP monitoring, ACE2 expression analysis, and endothelial function assessment.

What this study cannot tell us

Short abstract—limited methodological detail. Animal study only. Bioavailability of oral YYLLVR in humans unknown. Very large BP reductions need confirmation.

How to read the evidence

Preclinical animal study. Impressive results but limited detail and needs validation.

When this study was published

Published in 2025.

The bigger picture

ACE2-activating peptides from food sources could offer natural complementary approaches to blood pressure management, working through a mechanism distinct from conventional ACE inhibitor drugs.

Questions still open

Can YYLLVR survive human digestion to reach the circulation?
Would a hazelnut-rich diet provide sufficient YYLLVR for antihypertensive effects?
Could YYLLVR be developed as a nutraceutical supplement?

Common questions

Can eating hazelnuts lower blood pressure?

This study found a specific peptide (YYLLVR) from hazelnut protein dramatically lowered blood pressure in hypertensive rats. Whether eating hazelnuts provides enough of this peptide to affect human blood pressure is unknown, but the finding supports hazelnut protein as a source of bioactive peptides.

What is ACE2 and why is activating it important?

ACE2 converts angiotensin II (which raises blood pressure) into ang-(1-7) (which lowers it). Most blood pressure drugs block ACE to reduce angiotensin II, but YYLLVR takes the opposite approach—activating ACE2 to break down angiotensin II faster. This is a fundamentally different and potentially complementary mechanism.

Read the original research

Hazelnut-Derived Peptide YYLLVR Improves Endothelial Dysfunction in Hypertension by Activating ACE2.

Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 73(27), 17024-17039

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Song, Wentian; Huang, Haoduo; Shen, Yue; Wu, Dan; Fang, Li; Liu, Xiaoting; Xu, Yu; Wang, Chongchong; Zhao, Fanrui; Liu, Chunlei; Min, Weihong. (2025). Hazelnut-Derived Peptide YYLLVR Improves Endothelial Dysfunction in Hypertension by Activating ACE2.. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 73(27), 17024-17039. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.5c04776