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Polyphenols are known to induce vasodilatory function via activation of the redox-sensitive phosphatidylinositol-3 (PI3)/protein kinase B (Akt) pathway. Black currant fruits have appreciable amounts of polyphenolic compounds including cyanidin-3-O-glucoside, cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside, delphinidin-3-O-glucoside, and delphinidin-3-O-rutinoside. It was hypothesized that black currant fruit extracts would cause activation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) through activation of redox-sensitive PI3 kinase/Akt signaling pathway. To test this hypothesis, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were treated with different concentrations/times of black currant juice concentrates (Ben Gairn and Ben Hope) and the activation of Akt and eNOS was measured using immunoblotting. Vitamin C is also known to activate Akt and eNOS in in vitro models, and black currants are rich in vitamin C. Therefore, the effect of …