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.

Functional and structural alterations of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract were evaluated in mice with partial deficiency of TGF-β3 (heterozygous; HZ) and the influence of sex and diet in them. No signs of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) were detected. Wild type (WT) females presented lower body weight and delayed GI transit compared to males. The HZ genotype modified the latency of marked feces expulsion, in a sex and diet dependent manner, without GI macroscopic structural alterations. A high fat diet (HFD) counteracted TGF-β3 heterozygosity functional effect in males. Sex, diet, and TGF-β3 may alter GI tract motility and structure, with a possible impact on the obesity-associated IBD.