Tier 3 — preclinical

Comprehensive vasodilatory and antihypertensive effects of 3,7,3',4'-tetrahydroxyflavone (fisetin): Ex vivo and in vivo evidence

Chong Seng Yan, Wan Yin Tew, Hui Wei Loh, Nur Hidayah Kaz Abdul Aziz, Wen Xu, Wei Xu, Mun Fei Yam
Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy 2026 201:119632

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 42341591
DOI
10.1016/j.biopha.2026.119632
Funding
Public metadata identifies Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine as a funder. The PubMed record does not expose a full funding statement.
Competing interests
The authors declared no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have influenced the work.

Study snapshot

DesignEx vivo vascular pharmacology in isolated rat aortic rings plus an in vivo intervention in spontaneously hypertensive rats.
ModelRat aortic rings and spontaneously hypertensive rats.
SamplePer-group sample sizes are not reported in the PubMed abstract metadata.
InterventionFisetin was tested across ex vivo concentration-response experiments and administered orally once daily to spontaneously hypertensive rats for 28 days; the abstract does not expose the exact oral dose.
Duration28 days for the in vivo antihypertensive experiment.
EndpointsAortic-ring vasorelaxation; Systolic blood pressure; Diastolic blood pressure; Mean arterial pressure; Akt/eNOS signalling; Body weight; Haematology; Serum biochemical safety measures

What the study showed, in plain terms

This 2026 study directly tested fisetin's vascular effects in rat aortic rings and in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Fisetin produced concentration-dependent vasorelaxation ex vivo and lowered systolic, diastolic and mean arterial pressure after 28 days of oral dosing in the hypertensive-rat model.

The findings strengthen the preclinical case that fisetin can influence vascular tone, but they do not show that fisetin lowers blood pressure in humans or justify replacing standard antihypertensive treatment.

Key findings

  • Fisetin relaxed isolated rat aortic rings through several vascular pathways, including NO/sGC signalling, potassium-channel activation and calcium-channel inhibition.
  • Daily oral fisetin for 28 days lowered systolic, diastolic and mean arterial pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats.
  • The study reported no overt toxicity based on body weight, haematology and serum biochemistry in the tested animal model.

What this study can and cannot tell us

  • The blood-pressure efficacy evidence is from rats, not people.
  • Animal doses and vascular exposure cannot be translated directly into a consumer supplement dose.
  • The study does not establish clinical effectiveness, interaction risk with antihypertensive drugs, or long-term human safety.

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Dr. Khaled Mahmoud, MBBChCritical Care Medicine, Longevity Science & Editorial Direction Dr. Amr Yasser, PhDCardiometabolic, Musculoskeletal, Gut & Bioavailability Dr. Abdulla Mostafa, PhDCellular Senescence, Neurological, Mitochondrial & Brain-Ageing Biology