Hindawi Publishing Corporation Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine Volume 2013, Article ID 912769, 8 pages http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/912769 Research Article The Involvement of a Polyphenol-Rich Extract of Black Chokeberry in Oxidative Stress on Experimental Arterial Hypertension Manuela Ciocoiu, 1 Laurentiu Badescu, 2 Anca Miron, 3 and Magda Badescu 1 1 Department of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Grigore T. Popa,” 700115 Iasi, Romania 2 Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Grigore T. Popa,” 700115 Iasi, Romania 3 Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Grigore T. Popa,” 700115 Iasi, Romania Correspondence should be addressed to Anca Miron; ancamiron@yahoo.com Received 1 September 2012; Accepted 29 January 2013 Academic Editor: Peng Nam Yeoh Copyright © 2013 Manuela Ciocoiu et al. his is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. he aim of this study is to characterize the content of Aronia melanocarpa Elliott (black chokeberry) extract and also to estimate the inluence of polyphenolic compounds contained in chokeberries on oxidative stress, on an L-NAME-induced experimental model of arterial hypertension. he rat blood pressure values were recorded using a CODA Noninvasive Blood Pressure System. HPLC/DAD coupled with ElectroSpray Ionization-Mass Spectrometry allowed identiication of ive phenolic compounds in berries ethanolic extract as follows: chlorogenic acid, kuromanin, rutin, hyperoside, and quercetin. he serous activity of glutathione- peroxidase (GSH-Px) has signiicantly lower values in the hypertensive (AHT) group as compared to the group protected by polyphenols (AHT + P). he total antioxidant capacity (TAC) values are lower in the AHT group and they are signiicantly higher in the AHT + P group. All the measured blood pressure components revealed a biostatistically signiicant blood pressure drop between the AHT group and the AHT + P group. he results reveal the normalization of the reduced glutathion (GSH) concentration as well as a considerable reduction in the malondialdehyde (MDA) serum concentration in the AHT + P group. Ethanolic extract of black chokeberry fruits not only has a potential value as a prophylactic agent but also may function as a nutritional supplement in the management of arterial hypertension. 1. Introduction Hypertension is a signiicant cardiovascular risk factor, asso- ciated to endothelial dysfunction and oxidative stress. he oxidative process participates in increasing systemic arte- rial pressure, reducing NO availability and vasodilation [1]. Oxidative stress is involved in remodelling the myocardial architecture and as a consequence, in the development of let ventricular hypertrophy [2, 3]. Assessment of antioxidant activities and lipid peroxida- tion byproducts in hypertensive subjects indicates an exces- sive amount of ROS and a reduction of antioxidant mecha- nism activity in both blood as well as in several other cellular systems, including not only vascular wall cells but also those found in circulating blood [4]. Dietary polyphenols are mostly derivatives and/or iso- mers of lavones, isolavones, lavonols, catechins, and pheno- lic acids. Aronia melanocarpa Elliot (Rosaceae, black choke- berry) is a shrub native to North America. Its berries, which are rich in polyphenols, have been used by native Indians both as a remedy and as a food [5]. Anthocyanins (cyanidin glyco- sides), lavonoids (quercetin glycosides), chlorogenic acids, and proanthocyanidins are the main polyphenols identiied in Aronia berries [6]. Several reports indicated that extracts from Aronia berries exhibited diferent biological efects both in vitro and in vivo (antioxidant, gastroprotective, hepato- protective, and antiproliferative activities not only via anti- oxidant pathways, but also via impacting signal transduc- tion/intracellular signalling cascades, impacting apoptosis, etc.) [7, 8].