The dipeptide Val-Trp, derived from cauliflower by-products, effectively reduced blood pressure in hypertensive rats by inhibiting ACE and activating a signaling pathway that relaxes blood vessels.
40 mg/kgOral dose of Val-Trp that effectively reduced both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in hypertensive rats
What the researchers found
Oral administration of Val-Trp (VW) at 40 mg/kg effectively reduced both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). The peptide works through a dual mechanism: it directly inhibits ACE by binding to the enzyme's active pocket, and it activates the eNOS/NO/cGMP signaling pathway, which promotes nitric oxide production, increases cGMP, decreases intracellular calcium, and ultimately relaxes blood vessels.
Molecular studies revealed that VW binds to ACE through a spontaneous exothermic process involving hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions, causing structural changes in the enzyme that prevent its normal substrate from binding.
Why it matters
High blood pressure affects over a billion people worldwide, and many current medications come with side effects. Finding natural ACE-inhibitory peptides from food waste like cauliflower by-products offers a dual benefit: a potential source of blood pressure-lowering compounds with fewer side effects, and a way to add value to agricultural waste that would otherwise be discarded.
How the study worked
Researchers tested the peptide VW in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) using oral administration at 40 mg/kg. They used a cell model with human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) stimulated by angiotensin I to study the mechanism. Isothermal titration calorimetry measured VW-ACE binding, fluorescence spectroscopy tracked enzyme structural changes, and molecular docking modeled how VW fits into ACE's active site.
What this study cannot tell us
The study was conducted in rats, not humans, so the blood pressure-lowering effects may not translate directly to people. The specific dosing (40 mg/kg) would need to be validated in human trials. The study did not assess long-term safety, bioavailability after digestion, or how the peptide compares to existing antihypertensive drugs in efficacy.
How to read the evidence
This is a preclinical animal study with supporting in vitro mechanistic work. While the dual-mechanism findings are detailed and well-supported, results from rat models require human clinical trials before they can be considered applicable to people.
When this study was published
Published in 2025, this is very recent research representing the current state of food-derived peptide science for cardiovascular applications.
The bigger picture
This study adds to a growing body of research showing that food-derived peptides can have meaningful cardiovascular effects. The detailed mechanism work — showing VW acts through both ACE inhibition and the eNOS/NO/cGMP pathway — strengthens the case for bioactive peptides as functional food ingredients. It also highlights the potential of upcycling agricultural by-products into health-promoting compounds.
Questions still open
- Would Val-Trp maintain its blood pressure-lowering activity after passing through the human digestive system?
- How does the antihypertensive potency of VW compare to established ACE inhibitor drugs like captopril?
- Could cauliflower by-product peptides be developed into a commercially viable supplement or functional food?
Common questions
What is Val-Trp and where does it come from?
How does this peptide lower blood pressure?
Read the original research
An angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitory peptide (Val-Trp) from cauliflower by-products exerts an antihypertensive effect via the eNOS/NO/cGMP pathway.
Food & function, 16(10), 4048-4060
Citation
Xu, Yang; Dou, Zishan; Liu, Jingli; Yahia, Zineb Ould; Chen, Wei. (2025). An angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitory peptide (Val-Trp) from cauliflower by-products exerts an antihypertensive effect via the eNOS/NO/cGMP pathway.. Food & function, 16(10), 4048-4060. https://doi.org/10.1039/d4fo03181d