Hypertension is a major problem worldwide. There is much evidence to suggest that reactive oxygen species (ROS) radical may play a role in the development of organ damage associated with cardiovascular disease and hypertension. (-)Epicatechin, a member of tea catechins belonging to flavonoid group, is known to be a potent anti-oxidant.The study has been undertaken to evaluate the effect of (-)epicatechin on markers of oxidative stress: reduced glutathione (GSH) and membrane sulthydryl (--SH) groups in erythrocytes from hypertensive patients. The effect of (-)epicatechin was also compared with a known anti-oxidant L-ascorbic acid. The erythrocyte intracellular GSH content and membrane -SH group content were significantly (P
