Applied
Physics Seminar
2013 Academic Year
Tuesday, 19 November 2013
Time: 15.30
Oppenheimer
Meeting Room,
Second Floor, Leonardo Building
The role of dietary polyphenols in
hypertension management (*)
Ganiyu Oboh (**)
Biochemistry Department, Federal University of Technology,
Akure, Nigeria
(*) Summary: Hypertension
is a common cardiovascular disease in which the blood pressure is
persistently at or above 140/90 mmHg. It affects about 10 – 20%
of all adults and with ailments such as arteriosclerosis, strokes,
heart attacks and end-stage renal disease. Dietary approach has been
suggested as a practical approach for the prevention/ management of
such chronic diseases; and diet’s rich in polyphenol could be used in
the management/ prevention of such diseases. Our research revealed that
some tropical foods such as green leafy vegetables, spices, legumes and
citrus could used as functional foods/ nutraceuticals for the
management of hypertension and its cardiovascular complications; these
they do as result of their high phenolic content, and antioxidant
properties as typified by their free radical scavenging (DPPH, ABTS and
OH) and Fe2+chelating abilities; reducing power and inhibition of
various pro-oxidants induced lipid peroxidation - in vitro. The
phenolic-rich extracts from those foods inhibit key enzymes associated
with hypertension-Angiotensin -I-Converting Enzyme (ACE) and
3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA reductase (HMG-CoA reductase) - in
vitro. Those plant food diets have hypocholesterolemic effects,
modulate enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants and inhibit key
enzyme linked with hypertension {Angiotensin-I-Converting Enzyme (ACE)}
in rats. Therefore, eat healthy foods and stay healthy, avoid junk
food; eat more fruit and vegetables- “Let food be your medicine and
medicine be your food”.
(**) Biodata: Dr.
Ganiyu Oboh is an Associate Professor at the Federal University
of Technology Akure (FUT), Nigeria. He was the Sub-Dean, School
of Postgraduate Studies (2010-2011) and Acting Head of the
Biochemistry Department (2011-2012). His Ph.D degree was obtained in
2002 in Applied Biochemistry from the same University. He went on to
post-doctoral training in 2005 at the Universidade Federal de Santa
Maria in Brazil. He has been awarded several fellowships that have
allowed him additional postdoctoral experience including visits to the
Technical University of Dresden in Germany (AvH Foundation) and
the Institute of Nutritional Sciences, Chinese Academy Sciences,
Shanghai, China (CAS-TWAS Visiting Scholar). He has been the recipient
of several research grants. He was awarded "The Best Researcher of the
Year" by the Federal University of Technology Akure, Nigeria In 2010
and 2012; as well as “Distinguished Alumnus” award of School of
Sciences- FUTA (2012). Ganiyu Oboh is an old friend of the Centre. His
first contact with the ICTP was as a Young Collaborator in 1999. He was
then promoted to Junior Associate for the period 1999 – 2006. He is now
a Regular Associate. During his contacts with the Centre he has also
collaborated with Dr Sabina Passamonti of University of Trieste. His
expertise is on Food Biophysics, structure-function relationship
of food bioactive substances with special emphasis on the role of
polyphenols as dietary intervention in the management of some
degenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes,
hypertension, kidney diseases, infertility and various stages of
cancer. He is the author of 173 articles in refereed journals and
conferences proceedings. He has trained several graduate students and
is a member of numerous learned societies.