Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibition Properties and Antioxidant Effects of Plants and their Bioactive Compounds as Cardioprotective Agent

Background: The prevalence of cardiovascular diseases is being increased; researchers are trying to explore effective preventive and treatment options. Antioxidant effects and Angiotensin- Converting. Enzyme (ACE) inhibitors demonstrated cardioprotective effects. Many herbs and plants have shown antiinflammatory, antioxidant, free radical scavenging, and ACE inhibition properties in preventing and treating cardiac-related disorders. Therefore, the exploration of bioactive compounds such as polyphenols, flavonoids, quercetin, kaempferol, isoflavones, and catechin needs to be explored as potential ACE inhibitors and antioxidants in preventing and treating cardiac-related diseases. Objective: The present study is designed to investigate the cardio-protective potential of important bioactive compounds from plants and herbs. Methods: Articles were collected from electronic databases, such as PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and Science Direct, using the keywords antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, ACE inhibition and antihypertensive properties of plants and herbs. In vitro and in vivo studies on animal models have been included in the current study. Articles published in languages other than the English language were excluded, and finally, 100 manuscripts were included in this study. Results: Plants and herbs chosen for this study with abundant natural bioactive compounds have demonstrated ACE inhibition, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-hypertensive properties and can be an effective cardioprotective. Hence, it could pave the way for the development of new therapeutics that could be beneficial in treating cardiovascular diseases. Conclusion: The current review focuses on herbs and plants possessing ACE inhibition, antioxidant, antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, hyperaccumulating and anti-hypertensive properties with their ability to prevent the breakdown of ACE I enzyme into ACE enzyme II, acting as ACE inhibitors and showing its strong potential as a cardioprotective agent. Also, it could support the development of new therapeutic agents to address cardiovascular problems.