HYPOTENSIVE EFFECTS OF SAFFLOWER YELLOW IN SPONTANEOUSLY HYPERTENSIVE RATS AND INFLUENCE ON PLASMA RENIN ACTIVITY AND ANGIOTENSIN II LEVEL

Safflower yellow (SY) is a mixture of chalconoid compounds extracted from Carthamus tinctorius L. Ig SY 1～2 g·kg^-1·d^-1lowered the blood pressure of spontaneously hypertensiverats (SHR), for about 1.86～3.86 kPa. Five weeks after administration of SY, the plasma renin ac-tivity and angiotensin Ⅱ level diminished in the SHR experimental groups. These suggest that the de-crease of blood pressure is mediated by the renin-angiotensin system.