01 Oct 2019 --- 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.
