Many traditional botanical plants such as lavender, fennel and chamomile lower blood pressure by activating a specific potassium channel (KCNQ5) in blood vessels. This is according to a study from the University of California, Irvine (UCI), US, which explains the molecular mechanisms behind herbs relaxing blood vessels. The discovery of these botanical KCNQ5-selective potassium channel openers could now potentially enable the development of future targeted therapies for diseases including hypertension and KCNQ5 loss-of-function encephalopathy, say the researchers.

“We found KCNQ5 activation to be a unifying molecular mechanism shared by a diverse range of botanical hypotensive folk medicines,” says Geoff Abbott, Professor of Physiology and Biophysics at the UCI School of Medicine and senior investigator on the study. Lavandula angustifolia, commonly called lavender, was among those studied. “We discovered it to be among the most efficacious KCNQ5 potassium channel activators, along with fennel seed extract and chamomile.”

Published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study illustrates how KCNQ5, together with other potassium channels including KCNQ1 and KCNQ4, is expressed in vascular smooth muscle. When activated, KCNQ5 relaxes blood vessels, making it a logical mechanism for at least part of the hypotensive actions of certain botanical folk medicines. Until now, the KCNQ5-selective potassium channel activation feature eluded conventional screening methods using chemical libraries. This may be why it is not a recognized feature of synthetic blood pressure medications.

Common herbs have a long history of use as folk medicines, often to lower blood pressure. Documented use of botanical folk medicine stretches back as far as recorded human history. There is DNA evidence, dating back 48,000 years, which suggests that Homo neanderthalensis consumed plants for medicinal use. Archaeological evidence, dating back 800,000 years, even suggests non-food usage of plants by Homo erectus or similar species. Today, evidence of the efficacy of botanical folk medicines ranges from anecdotal to clinical trials, however, the underlying molecular mechanisms often remain elusive.

Recently, Western research has been revisiting Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for its potential applications in chronic pain management, disease prevention and mental health treatment. For example, a study found that ginkgo biloba extract and magnetized water may offer some therapeutic benefit in fighting Type 2 diabetes.

Meanwhile, ayurvedic medicine has seen increased consumer interest, with Remedy Organics launching Golden Mind, a functional beverage inspired by ayurvedic tradition. Boosted by growing consumer demand for natural remedies to fight the daily stresses of modern life, ashwagandha is seeing an impressive uptake in usage in particular. Innova Market Insights data has shown a comparative increase of 48 percent in the number of food and beverage launches globally when comparing 2015 and 2018.

The US leads in the commercial application of ashwagandha in food and beverage launches. In fact, Innova Market Insights reports that the number of food and beverage launches reported in the US is three times higher than those reported in India (2015 to 2018), ashwagandha’s country of origin.

“For thousands of years, herbs have been used as safe and natural solutions for protecting and preserving human health. Today, consumers are looking for natural alternatives to conventional medicine,” Shaheen Majeed, Worldwide President of Sabinsa told earlier this year.