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ABSTRACT The antihypertensive and antioxidant effects of α-terpineol on hypertensive rats were evaluated in this study. Hypertension was induced in male Wistar rats by oral administration of the NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) 50 mg/kg body weight/day) in drinking water for 1 week. Rats with mean arterial pressure > 140 mmHg were considered hypertensive. In order to evaluate the α-terpineol effect on haemodynamic parameters, rats were treated once a day with different doses of α-terpineol (25, 50, or 100 mg/kg/day) or vehicle for one week. After this time, blood samples were collected and activities of antioxidant enzymes were assessed. Furthermore, the vasorelaxant effect of α-terpineol was also assessed in mesenteric artery rings. Oral administration of α-terpineol was able to reduce mean arterial pressure in up to 38.15 ± 8.7 mmHg. In mesenteric artery rings, α-terpineol (10−9-10−2 M) induced vascular endothelium independent vasodilatation. In addition, rats treated with α-terpineol showed alterations in biochemical parameters indicating an antioxidant effect. Such results suggest that α-terpineol is able to reduce arterial pressure, possibly due to a decrease of vascular resistance, and restore enzymatic antioxidants in L-NAME-induced hypertensive rats. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]