Beneficial effects of simulated gastro-intestinal digests of fried egg and its fractions on blood pressure, plasma lipids and oxidative stress in spontaneously hypertensive rats

Red Quinoa Hydrolysates with Antioxidant Properties Improve Cardiovascular Health in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

In recent years, quinoa has been postulated as an emerging crop for the production of functional foods. Quinoa has been used to obtain plant protein hydrolysates with in vitro biological activity. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the beneficial effect of red quinoa hydrolysate (QrH) on oxidative stress and cardiovascular health in an in vivo experimental model of hypertension (HTN) in the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR). The oral administration of QrH at 1000 mg/kg/day (QrHH) showed a significant reduction in SBP from baseline (-9.8 ± 4.5 mm Hg; p < 0.05) in SHR. The mechanical stimulation thresholds did not change during the study QrH groups, whereas in the case of SHR control and SHR vitamin C, a significant reduction was observed (p < 0.05). The SHR QrHH exhibited higher antioxidant capacity in the kidney than the other experimental groups (p < 0.05). The SHR QrHH group showed an increase in reduced glutathione levels in the liver compared to the SHR control group (p < 0.05). In relation to lipid peroxidation, SHR QrHH exhibited a significant decrease in plasma, kidney and heart malondialdehyde (MDA) values compared to the SHR control group (p < 0.05). The results obtained revealed the in vivo antioxidant effect of QrH and its ability to ameliorate HTN and its associated complications.

Egg Intake Is Associated with Lower Risks of Impaired Fasting Glucose and High Blood Pressure in Framingham Offspring Study Adults

The association between egg consumption and cardiometabolic risk factors such as high blood pressure (HBP) and impaired fasting glucose (IFG) or type 2 diabetes (T2D) is still under debate. This study examines the association between egg consumption and these outcomes among 2349 30-64 year-old adults in the prospective Framingham Offspring Study. Diet was assessed using three-day dietary records. Potential confounders retained in the final models included age, sex, body mass index, and other dietary factors. The analysis of covariance and Cox proportional hazard's models were used to assess the relevant continuous (i.e., FG, SBP, DBP) and categorical (i.e., T2D, HBP) outcomes. Consuming ≥5 eggs per week was associated with lower mean FG (p = 0.0004) and SBP (p = 0.0284) after four years of follow-up. Higher egg intakes led to lower risks of developing IFG or T2D (HR: 0.72; 95% CI: 0.51-1.03) and high blood pressure (HBP) (HR: 0.68; 0.50-0.93). The beneficial effects of egg consumption were stronger in combination with other healthy dietary patterns. This study found that regular egg consumption as part of a healthy diet had long-term beneficial effects on blood pressure and glucose metabolism and lowered the long-term risks of high blood pressure and diabetes.

The Health Benefits of Egg Protein

Once the general public accepts that dietary cholesterol is not a concern for cardiovascular disease risk, foods that have been labeled as high-cholesterol sources, including eggs, may be appreciated for their various other dietary components. One of the nutrients in eggs that deserves further discussion is egg protein. Egg protein has been recognized to be highly digestible and an excellent source of essential amino acids, with the highest attainable protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score. Egg protein has been shown to decrease malnutrition in underdeveloped countries, possibly increase height in children, and protect against kwashiorkor. Egg protein has been demonstrated to be important to skeletal muscle health and protective against sarcopenia. Egg protein also can decrease appetite, resulting in a reduction in the caloric intake from the next meal and weight reduction. Other protective effects of egg protein addressed in this review include protection against infection as well as hypotensive and anti-cancer effects.

Hypertension: Constraining the Expression of ACE-II by Adopting Optimal Macronutrients Diet Predicted via Support Vector Machine

The recent elevation of cases infected from novel COVID-19 has placed the human life in trepidation mode, especially for those suffering from comorbidities. Most of the studies in the last few months have undeniably raised concerns for hypertensive patients that face greater risk of fatality from COVID-19. Furthermore, one of the recent WHO reports has estimated a total of 1.13 billion people are at a risk of hypertension of which two-thirds live in low and middle income countries. The gradual escalation of the hypertension problem andthe sudden rise of COVID-19 cases have placed an increasingly higher number of human lives at risk in low and middle income countries. To lower the risk of hypertension, most physicians recommend drugs that have angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. However, prolonged use of such drugs is not recommended due to metabolic risks and the increase in the expression of ACE-II which could facilitate COVID-19 infection. In contrast, the intake of optimal macronutrients is one of the possible alternatives to naturally control hypertension. In the present study, a nontrivial feature selection and machine learning algorithm is adopted to intelligently predict the food-derived antihypertensive peptide. The proposed idea of the paper lies in reducing the computational power while retaining the performance of the support vector machine (SVM) by estimating the dominant pattern in the features space through feature filtering. The proposed feature filtering algorithm has reported a trade-off performance by reducing the chances of Type I error, which is desirable when recommending a dietary food to patients suffering from hypertension. The maximum achievable accuracy of the best performing SVM models through feature selection are 86.17% and 85.61%, respectively.

Chicken muscle hydrolysate reduces blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats, upregulates ACE2, and ameliorates vascular inflammation, fibrosis, and oxidative stress

Spent hens are egg-laying chicken reaching the end of their egg-laying cycle and are seen as a by-product to the egg industry. A spent hen muscle protein hydrolysate prepared by food-grade thermoase PC10F (SPH-T) has previously shown antihypertensive potential. In the present work, we further investigated its antihypertensive effect and underlying mechanisms in spontaneously hypertensive rats. There are three groups: untreated, low dose (250 mg SPH-T/kg/day body weight), and high dose (1,000 mg SPH-T/kg/day body weight). Oral administration of SPH-T over a period of 20 days reduced systolic blood pressure by 25.7 mm Hg (p < 0.001) and 11.9 mm Hg (p < 0.05), respectively, for the high- and low-dose groups. The high-dose treatment decreased the circulating level of angiotensin II (from 25.0 to 5.7 pg/ml) while increased angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) (from 1.3 to 3.3 IU/ml) and angiotensin (1-7) (from 37.0 to 70.1 pg/ml) significantly (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the high-dose group doubled the aortic expression of ACE2 while reduced the expression of angiotensin (Ang) II type 1 receptor (by 35%). Circulating inflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor alpha and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 as well as vascular inflammatory proteins including inducible nitric oxide synthase and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 were attenuated by ∼15%-50% by the treatment; nitrosative stress (35%) and type I collagen synthesis (50%) in the aorta were also attenuated significantly (p < 0.05). Moreover, SPH-T possessed an umami taste (no obvious bitter taste) as analyzed by electronic tongue. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Hypertension is a global health concern, afflicting more than 20% of adults worldwide. Uncovering the antihypertensive effect of spent hen protein hydrolysate underpinned its functional food nutraceutical applications for the prevention and treatment of hypertension.

Bioactivity of Cooked Standard and Enriched Whole Eggs from White Leghorn and Rhode Island Red in Exhibiting In-Vitro Antioxidant and ACE-Inhibitory Effects

Hen breed, diet enrichment, cooking methods, and gastrointestinal (GI) digestion modulates the bioaccessibility of the bioactive compounds in eggs, but their synergistic role in modulating bioactivity is still unclear. The present study evaluates the effect of hen breed, diet enrichment, and GI digestion on the cooked whole egg-derived peptides in-vitro antioxidant and antihypertensive activities. Standard and enriched whole eggs from White Leghorn (WLH) and Rhode Island Red (RIR) hens were boiled or fried and subjected to GI digestion. Antioxidant activity was measured through oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) and gastrointestinal epithelial cell-based assays, and the antihypertensive capacity by in-vitro Angiotensin-I Converting Enzyme (ACE) inhibition assay. WLH fried standard egg hydrolysate showed a high ORAC antioxidant activity but failed to show any significant antioxidant effect in the cell-based assay. No significant differences were observed in the antihypertensive activity, although enriched samples tended to have a higher ACE-inhibitory capacity. The peptide profile explained the antioxidant capacities based on antioxidant structural requirements from different peptide fractions, while previously reported antihypertensive peptides were found in all samples. The study validates the importance of physiologically relevant models and requires future studies to confirm mechanisms that yield bioactive compounds in whole egg hydrolysates.

Nutritional significance of amino acids, vitamins and minerals as nutraceuticals in poultry production and health - a comprehensive review

Nutraceuticals have gained immense importance in poultry science recently considering the nutritional and beneficial health effects of their constituents. Besides providing nutritional requirements to birds, nutraceuticals have beneficial pharmacological effects, for example, they help in establishing normal physiological health status, prevent diseases and thereby improve production performance. Nutraceuticals include amino acids, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, etc. which are important for preventing oxidative stress, regulating the immune response and maintaining normal physiological, biochemical and homeostatic mechanisms. Nutraceuticals help in supplying nutrients in balanced amounts for supporting the optimal growth performance in modern poultry flocks, and as a dietary supplement can reduce the use of antibiotics. The application of antibiotic growth enhancers in poultry leads to the propagation of antibiotic-resistant microbes and drug residues; therefore, they have been restricted in many countries. Thus, there is a demand for natural feed additives that lead to the same growth enhancement without affecting the health. Nutraceuticals substances have an essential role in the development of the animals' normal physiological functions and in protecting them against infectious diseases. In this review, the uses of amino acids, vitamins and minerals as well as their mode of action in growth promotion and elevation of immune system are discussed.

Chicken Egg Proteins and Derived Peptides with Antioxidant Properties

In addition to their high nutritional value, some chicken egg proteins and derivatives such as protein hydrolysates, peptides and amino acids show antioxidant properties which make them prominent candidates for the development of functional foods, drawing attention to both the food and biopharmaceutical industries. This review summarizes current knowledge on antioxidant activity of chicken egg proteins and their derived peptides. Some egg proteins such as ovalbumin, ovotransferrin and lysozyme from egg white or phosvitin from yolk have shown antioxidant properties, although derived peptides have higher bioactive potential. The main process for obtaining egg bioactive peptides is enzymatic hydrolysis of its proteins using enzymes and/or processing technologies such as heating, sonication or high-intensity-pulsed electric field. Different in vitro assays such as determination of reducing power, DPPH and ABTS radical-scavenging activity tests or oxygen radical absorbance capacity assay have been used to evaluate the diverse antioxidant mechanisms of proteins and peptides. Similarly, different cell lines and animal models including zebrafish, mice and rats have also been used. In summary, this review collects all the knowledge described so far regarding egg proteins and derived peptides with antioxidant functions.

Perspectives on the Potential Benefits of Antihypertensive Peptides towards Metabolic Syndrome

In addition to the regulation of blood pressure, the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) also plays a key role in the onset and development of insulin resistance, which is central to metabolic syndrome (MetS). Due to the interplay between RAS and insulin resistance, antihypertensive compounds may exert beneficial effects in the management of MetS. Food-derived bioactive peptides with RAS blocking properties can potentially improve adipose tissue dysfunction, glucose intolerance, and insulin resistance involved in the pathogenesis of MetS. This review discusses the pathophysiology of hypertension and the association between RAS and pathogenesis of the MetS. The effects of bioactive peptides with RAS modulating effects on other components of the MetS are discussed. While the in vivo reports on the effectiveness of antihypertensive peptides against MetS are encouraging, the exact mechanism by which these peptides infer their effects on glucose and lipid handling is mostly unknown. Therefore, careful design of experiments along with standardized physiological models to study the effect of antihypertensive peptides on insulin resistance and obesity could help to clarify this relationship.

Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Egg White Protein Exerts a Hypotensive Effect in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

This study was conducted to investigate the hypotensive effect of egg white protein (EWP) hydrolysate (EWH) in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). The hydrolysis of EWP was effectively performed with a combination of 0.5% bromelain and 1% papain at 50°C for 60 min. The resulting hydrolysate did not elicit an allergic reaction as confirmed by human mast cell activation test. The systolic and diastolic blood pressures of the SHRs fed the EWH diet were observed to be significantly or numerically lower than those of the other groups during the experimental period of 28 d. EWH treatment significantly (p<0.05) upregulated the nitric oxide levels in hCMEC/D3 cells and the plasma of the SHRs compared to those in the control. Moreover, EWH ingestion significantly (p<0.01) reduced the plasma angiotensin II level of the SHRs compared with that in the control. In conclusion, beyond its basic nutritional value, EWH prevents and manages hypertension, and thus can be an invaluable resource for functional food development.

Preparation and Identification of Novel Antihypertensive Peptides from the In Vitro Gastrointestinal Digestion of Marine Cobia Skin Hydrolysates

This research focuses on cobia skin hydrolysates and their antihypertensive effects via the inhibitory activities of angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE). Marine fish Cobia (Rachycentron canadum) skin was hydrolysed for 5 h using Protamex and Protease N to obtain the cobia skin protein hydrolysates PX-5 and PN-5, respectively. The soluble protein and peptide contents of the PX-5 were 612 and 270 mg/g, respectively, and for the PN-5, 531 and 400 mg/g, respectively. The IC₅₀ of PX-5 and PN-5 on ACE was 0.221 and 0.291 mg/mL, respectively. Increasing the IC₅₀ from 0.221 to 0.044 mg/mL by simulated gastrointestinal digestion (PX-5G) reduced the ACE-inhibitory capacity of PX-5. Using gel filtration chromatography, the PX-5G was fractioned into eight fractions. The molecular weight of the fifth fraction from PX-5G was between 630 and 450 Da, and the highest inhibitory efficiency ratio on ACE was 1552.4%/mg/mL. We identified four peptide sequences: Trp-Ala-Ala, Ala-Trp-Trp, Ile-Trp-Trp, and Trp-Leu, with IC₅₀ values for ACE of 118.50, 9.40, 0.51, and 26.80 μM, respectively. At a dose of 600 mg PX-5 powder/kg body weight, in spontaneously hypertensive rats PX-5's antihypertensive effect significantly reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure by 21.9 and 15.5 mm Hg, respectively, after 4 h of oral gavage.

Bioactive Egg Proteins

The nutritional excellence of chicken egg is derived from its task as a life-giving medium, supplying the necessary nutrients to the hen's embryo while protecting it from external threats. Additionally, egg proteins possess unique biological activities above and beyond their known functional and nutritional roles. In the last few decades, extensive research has been done to evaluate the various biological activities of egg proteins and protein-derived peptides. Egg proteins and protein-derived peptides have been attributed to diverse biological activities, the most well-known being their antimicrobial properties. However, egg proteins and peptides have been shown to have other biological activities, such as antihypertensive, antioxidant, anticancer, immunomodulatory, and protease inhibitory activity. Egg-derived bioactive proteins have had a relevant scientific impact and exhibit promising applicability as an ingredient for the development of functional foods and nutraceuticals. However, it is critical to understand the effects of these proteins in signaling pathways to delineate their molecular mechanisms of action. Further studies are required to fill the current knowledge gaps. Therefore, the purpose of the chapter is to illustrate the present knowledge of the bioactivity of different egg proteins and their physiological effects.

Food-Derived Bioactive Peptides in Human Health: Challenges and Opportunities

Recent scientific evidence suggests that food proteins not only serve as nutrients, but can also modulate the body's physiological functions. These physiological functions are primarily regulated by some peptides that are encrypted in the native protein sequences. These bioactive peptides can exert health beneficial properties and thus are considered as a lead compound for the development of nutraceuticals or functional foods. In the past few decades, a wide range of food-derived bioactive peptide sequences have been identified, with multiple health beneficial activities. However, the commercial application of these bioactive peptides has been delayed because of the absence of appropriate and scalable production methods, proper exploration of the mechanisms of action, high gastro-intestinal digestibility, variable absorption rate, and the lack of well-designed clinical trials to provide the substantial evidence for potential health claims. This review article discusses the current techniques, challenges of the current bioactive peptide production techniques, the oral use and gastrointestinal bioavailability of these food-derived bioactive peptides, and the overall regulatory environment.

Co-ingestion of whole eggs or egg whites with glucose protects against postprandial hyperglycaemia-induced oxidative stress and dysregulated arginine metabolism in association with improved vascular endothelial function in prediabetic men

Replacing a portion of a glucose challenge with whole eggs (EGG) or egg whites (WHITE) was shown to protect against glucose-induced impairments in vascular function. We hypothesised in the present study that previously observed vasoprotection following co-ingestion of EGG or WHITE with glucose was attributed to limiting postprandial hyperglycaemia-induced oxidative stress that improves NO∙ bioavailability. Prediabetic men completed a randomised, cross-over study in which they ingested isoenergetic meals containing 100 g glucose (GLU), or 75 g glucose with 1·5 EGG, seven WHITE or two egg yolks (YOLK). At 30 min intervals for 3 h, we assessed plasma NO∙ metabolites, the lipid peroxidation biomarker malondialdehyde, antioxidants, arginine and its methylated metabolites (asymmetric dimethylarginine and symmetric dimethylarginine), tetrahydrobiopterin redox status, vasoconstrictors and inflammatory markers. Compared with GLU, malondialdehyde was lower and NO∙ metabolites were greater in EGG and WHITE, but YOLK was not different from GLU. Malondialdehyde was inversely correlated with NO∙ metabolites and vascular function, whereas NO∙ metabolites were positively correlated with vascular function. Compared with GLU, arginine was greater, but asymmetric and symmetric dimethylarginine and angiotensin-II were lower in all egg-based meals. Antioxidants, tetrahydrobiopterin redox status and inflammatory markers did not differ among treatments. Thus, while each egg-based meal improved arginine metabolism, only EGG and WHITE limited lipid peroxidation. This suggests that vasoprotection mediated by EGG and WHITE likely occurs in an NO∙-dependent manner by improving arginine metabolism and attenuating oxidative stress that otherwise limit NO∙ biosynthesis and bioavailability to the vascular endothelium.

Associations between higher egg consumption during pregnancy with lowered risks of high blood pressure and gestational diabetes mellitus

Abstract. Introduction: The prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is increasing worldwide. High cholesterol intake may increase the risk of hyperglycemia, yet little research has evaluated the relation between cholesterol or egg as a main source of dietary cholesterol and GDM. We aimed to study this association among pregnant Iranian women. Methods and Participants: Four hundred sixty-two pregnant women participated in this case-control study. Participants’ dietary intake, weight, height, and blood pressure were obtained and BMI was calculated. Fasting plasma glucose and liver enzymes were also measured. Logistic regression was used to obtain odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for GDM across tertiles of cholesterol and egg consumption. Results: Among study participants, 115 consumed less than one, 194 consumed one and the remaining participants consumed more than one egg per week (mean cholesterol intake 121.31±61.69 mg/d). Participants within the highest tertile of egg consumption had 41% lower risk of GDM (OR: 0.59; 95% CI: 0.35-0.99) compared with those in the lowest tertile (P=0.01). Higher egg consumption was associated with lower risk of having high blood pressure (P=0.01). The difference in odds of GDM and high blood pressure between the highest and the lowest tertile of cholesterol consumption was not significant, even after controlling for age, energy intake, number of children and socio-economic status. Conclusion: Higher dietary intake of egg during pregnancy was associated with lower odds of GDM. We found no significant association between cholesterol intake and odds of GDM. Further research are needed to confirm these results and determine causality.

Egg Protein-Derived Bioactive Peptides: Preparation, Efficacy, and Absorption

The hen's egg is an important protein source of human diet. On average one large egg contains ~6g protein, which contributes to ~11% of daily protein intake. As a high-quality protein, egg proteins are well recognized as excellent sources of bioactive peptides. The objectives of this chapter are to introduce generation, bioactivities, and absorption of egg protein-derived bioactive peptides. Research on egg protein-derived bioactive peptides has been progressed during the past decades. Enzymatic hydrolysis is the major technique to prepare bioactive peptides from egg protein. Quantitative structure-activity relationships-aided in silico prediction is increasingly applied as a promising tool for efficient prediction of novel bioactive peptides. A number of bioactive peptides from egg proteins have been characterized for antioxidant, immunomodulatory, antihypertensive, antidiabetic, anticancer, and antimicrobial activities. Egg protein-derived peptides that can improve bone health have been reported as well. However, molecular mechanisms of many peptides are not fully understood. The stability and absorption routes, bioavailability, safety, and production of bioactive peptides await further investigation.

Replacing carbohydrate during a glucose challenge with the egg white portion or whole eggs protects against postprandial impairments in vascular endothelial function in prediabetic men by limiting increases in glycaemia and lipid peroxidation

Eggs attenuate postprandial hyperglycaemia (PPH), which transiently impairs vascular endothelial function (VEF). We hypothesised that co-ingestion of a glucose challenge with egg-based meals would protect against glucose-induced impairments in VEF by attenuating PPH and oxidative stress. A randomised, cross-over study was conducted in prediabetic men (n20) who ingested isoenegertic meals (1674 kJ (400 kcal)) containing 100 g glucose (GLU), or 75 g glucose with 1·5 whole eggs (EGG), seven egg whites (WHITE) or two egg yolks (YOLK). At 30 min intervals for 3 h, brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD), plasma glucose, insulin, cholecystokinin (CCK), lipids (total, LDL- and HDL-cholesterol; TAG), F2-isoprostanes normalised to arachidonic acid (F2-IsoPs/AA), and methylglyoxal were assessed. In GLU, FMD decreased at 30–60 min and returned to baseline levels by 90 min. GLU-mediated decreases in FMD were attenuated at 30–60 min in EGG and WHITE. Compared with GLU, FMDAUCwas higher in EGG and WHITE only. Relative to baseline, glucose increased at 30–120 min in GLU and YOLK but only at 30–90 min in EGG and WHITE. GlucoseAUCand insulinAUCwere also lower in EGG and WHITE only. However, CCKAUCwas higher in EGG and WHITE compared with GLU. Compared with GLU, F2-IsoPs/AAAUCwas lower in EGG and WHITE but unaffected by YOLK. Postprandial lipids and methylglyoxal did not differ between treatments. Thus, replacing a portion of a glucose challenge with whole eggs or egg whites, but not yolks, limits postprandial impairments in VEF by attenuating increases in glycaemia and lipid peroxidation.

Egg white hydrolysate shows insulin mimetic and sensitizing effects in 3T3-F442A pre-adipocytes

Insulin resistance and inflammation in adipose tissue is a key mechanism underlying metabolic syndrome, a growing health problem characterized by diabetes, obesity and hypertension. Previous work from our research group has demonstrated the potential of egg white ovotransferrin derived bioactive peptides against hypertension, oxidative stress and inflammation in vitro and in vivo. Egg white hydrolysate (EWH) has also shown anti-hypertensive effects in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Given the interplay among hypertension, inflammation, oxidative stress and metabolic syndrome, the objective of the study was to test the EWH on differentiation, insulin signaling and inflammatory responses in 3T3-F442A pre-adipocytes. Our study suggested that EWH could promote adipocyte differentiation as shown by increased lipid accumulation, increased release of adiponectin and upregulation of peroxisome proliferator associated receptor gamma (PPARγ) and CCAAT/ enhancer binding protein alpha (C/EBP-α). In addition to enhanced insulin effects on the upregulation of protein kinase B/Akt phosphorylation, EWH treatment increased extracellular signal regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) phosphorylation to a level similar to that of insulin, indicating insulin sensitizing and mimetic properties of the EWH. EWH further attenuated cytokine induced inflammatory marker; cyclooxygenase -2 (COX-2) by 48.78%, possibly through the AP-1 pathway by down regulating c-Jun phosphorylation in adipocytes. Given the critical role of adipose in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome, EWH may have potential applications in the prevention and management of metabolic syndrome and its complications.

Egg-derived bioactive peptides with ACE-inhibitory properties: a literature update

Egg proteins contain a wide set of peptide sequences which have an impact on cardiovascular health.

Fibulin-3 may improve vascular health through inhibition of MMP-2/9 and oxidative stress in spontaneously hypertensive rats

Fibulin-3 has been suggested to function in the remodeling of the extracellular matrix, however its role remains unclear in hypertensive vascular remodeling. In the current study, 10 Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats (control group) and 30 spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) were used. SHRs were randomized into three groups: The placebo group, intravenous (I.V.) physiological saline; the FBLN‑1 group, low‑dose fibulin‑3 protein (I.V.; 120 ng/kg); and the FBLN-2 group, high-dose fibulin-3 protein (I.V.; 240 ng/kg). Histological analysis was used to analyze vascular remodeling. The expression of fibulin‑3, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)‑2, MMP‑9 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)‑3 were detected by immunohistochemistry, western blotting and reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Oxidative stress was detected by dihydroethidium staining. The systolic blood pressure (SBP) of SHRs was observed to be significantly greater than that of WKY rats (P<0.05). SBP in the FBLN‑2 group was significantly reduced compared with the placebo group (182±12 mmHg vs. 224±14 mmHg; P<0.05). The thoracic aortic wall thickness in the SHR groups (placebo group, FBLN‑1 group and FBLN‑2 group) was observed to tbe significantly thicker than in the control group (P<0.01). The wall thickness of the FBLN‑2 group was significantly greater than that of the placebo and FBLN-1 groups (124.2±11.8 µm vs. 106.9±9.5 µm and 96.8±10.2 µm; P<0.05). The wall‑to‑lumen ratios of the placebo, FBLN‑1 and FBLN-2 groups were significantly greater than that of the control group (P<0.05). In addition, the expression levels of fibulin‑3 and MMP‑2/9 at protein and mRNA levels were significantly increased in the thoracic aorta of the placebo group compared with the control group (P<0.05). The levels of MMP‑2/9 were significantly reduced in the FBLN‑2 group compared with the placebo group (P<0.05). Levels of TIMP‑3 however, exhibited no significant differences in the four groups (P>0.05). Reactive oxygen species (ROS) were increased in the placebo group vs. the control group. Fibulin‑3 was able to alleviate the levels of ROS in the FBLN groups. It is suggested that fibulin‑3 may act as a growth factor in the arteries. In addition, the results indicated that fibulin‑3 may reduce the levels of MMP‑2 and ‑9 and oxidative stress in hypertensive vascular remodeling. Upregulating fibulin-3 may be beneficial for improving vascular health and offsetting certain cardiovascular risk factors of hypertension.