{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]],"date-time":"2026-08-18T04:59:41Z","timestamp":1787029181291,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":45,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"24","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,12,7]],"date-time":"2022-12-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1670371200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Euglena Co., Ltd."}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Nutrients"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Wild watermelon contains various nutrients, but the effect of its acute ingestion on arterial stiffness is unclear. This study aimed to investigate whether a single bout of acute ingestion of wild watermelon-extracted juice decreased arterial stiffness concomitant with an increase in nitric oxide (NO) production. Twelve healthy young female participants were tested under two conditions in a randomized, double-blind crossover study: (1) a beverage containing 90 g of wild watermelon extract and (2) a control beverage: a placebo. Pulse wave velocity (PWV), an index of arterial stiffness, blood flow, and plasma nitrate\/nitrite (NOx) levels were measured in the supine position at 30, 60, and 90 min after the intake of each beverage. The changes in femoral-ankle PWV were significantly reduced after wild watermelon-extracted juice intake compared to those in the placebo group. Additionally, the changes in blood flow in the posterior tibial artery and plasma NOx levels after intake of wild watermelon-extracted juice were significantly increased compared to those in the placebo group. These data show that acute ingestion of wild watermelon-extracted juice reduces peripheral (lower limb) arterial stiffness and increases NO bioavailability. To confirm these associations, more detailed investigations of the nutrients that influence these effects should be conducted.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/nu14245199","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,12,7]],"date-time":"2022-12-07T03:27:57Z","timestamp":1670383677000},"page":"5199","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":12,"title":["Wild Watermelon-Extracted Juice Ingestion Reduces Peripheral Arterial Stiffness with an Increase in Nitric Oxide Production: A Randomized Crossover Pilot Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Shumpei","family":"Fujie","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Sport and Health Science, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu 525-8577, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Keiko","family":"Iemitsu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Sport and Health Science, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu 525-8577, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kenichiro","family":"Inoue","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Sport and Health Science, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu 525-8577, Japan"},{"name":"Research Fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo 102-0083, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Taro","family":"Ogawa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Euglena Co., Ltd., Tokyo 108-0014, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ayaka","family":"Nakashima","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Euglena Co., Ltd., Tokyo 108-0014, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kengo","family":"Suzuki","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Euglena Co., Ltd., Tokyo 108-0014, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4362-6030","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Motoyuki","family":"Iemitsu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Sport and Health Science, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu 525-8577, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,12,7]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1527","DOI":"10.1097\/00004872-200018110-00001","article-title":"Therapeutic studies and arterial stiffness in hypertension: Recommendations of the European Society of Hypertension. 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