Effectiveness of Consumption of a Combination of Citrus Fruit Flavonoids and Olive Leaf Polyphenols to Reduce Oxidation of Low-Density Lipoprotein in Treatment-Naïve Cardiovascular Risk Subjects: A Randomized Double-Blind Controlled Study.

The aim of the study was to assess whether oral intake of a nutraceutical product (Citrolive™) could determine changes in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation and other parameters of lipid metabolism and plasma atherogenic capacity. Citrolive™ is a commercial extract obtained from the combination of citrus fruit flavonoids and olive leaf extracts. Twenty-three untreated subjects (69.6% males, 30.4% females, mean age 41.9 ± 9.4 years) with cardiovascular risk factors and a total cholesterol level >200 mg/dL and LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) > 130 mg/dL participated in a 3-month randomized double-blind controlled study. Participants in the intervention group (71.4% males, 28.6% females, mean age 42.7 ± 9.7 years) consumed Citrolive™ (500 mg, two capsules/day), and controls (66.7% males, 33.3% females, mean age 40.6 ± 9.4 years) received a matched placebo. At 3 months, oxidized LDL (ox-LDL) decreased significantly in the intervention group from 93.8 ± 19.1 U/L to 62.8 ± 28.7 U/L (p < 0.05), whereas the control group increased from 98.2 ± 23.5 U/L to 105.7 ± 21.9 U/L (p = 0.1). Between-group differences were also significant (p < 0.05). Similar findings in the ox-LDL/LDL-C ratio were observed. Serum paraoxonase activity (PON1) increased significantly in the intervention group from 64.5 ± 15.6 U/L to 78.7 ± 28.8 U/L (p < 0.05) but remained unchanged in controls. Consumption of Citrolive™ for 3 months in treatment-naïve subjects with moderate risk of atherosclerosis was associated with a reduction in oxidized LDL-C and LDL-oxidase/LDL-C ratio as compared to controls.

Effect of a Combination of Citrus Flavones and Flavanones and Olive Polyphenols for the Reduction of Cardiovascular Disease Risk: An Exploratory Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study in Healthy Subjects.

A single-center, randomized, double-blind controlled trial was conducted to assess the efficacy of a food supplement based on a combination of grapefruit, bitter orange, and olive extracts administered for eight weeks (n = 51) versus placebo (n = 45) on reduction of cardiovascular risk in healthy volunteers. Study variables included flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD), blood pressure (BP), lipid profile, thrombotic status, oxidative stress biomarkers, inflammation-related biomarkers, anthropometric variables, quality of life, and physical activity. The per-protocol data set was analyzed. In the active product group, there were statistically significant within-group differences at eight weeks as compared with baseline in FMD, systolic and diastolic BP, total cholesterol, LDL-C, LDL-oxidase, oxidized/reduced glutathione ratio, protein carbonyl, and IL-6. Significant between-group differences in these variables were also found. Significant changes in anthropometric variables and quality of life were not observed in the study groups. Changes in the level of physical activity were not recorded. Treatment with the active product was well tolerated. All these findings, taken together, support a beneficial effect of supplementation with a mixture of grapefruit, bitter orange fruits, and olive leaf extracts on underlying mechanisms that may interact each other to decrease the cardiovascular risk in healthy people.

Comparative study of rosemary extracts and several synthetic and natural food antioxidants. Relevance of carnosic acid/carnosol ratio.

The antiradical power, at equal concentrations of active principles, of the following antioxidants were studied using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) assay: butylated-hydroxyanisole, butylated-hydroxytoluene, tert-butylhydroquinone, ascorbyl palmitate, tocopherol, grape seed extract, olive extract and five rosemary extracts with different concentrations of carnosic acid (CA) and carnosol (COL). The reaction kinetics of DPPH scavenging activity in each studied substance identified significant variations in the time needed to reach the steady state. Rosemary extracts were seen to be more effective than the other compounds. CA had higher antioxidant activity than COL, although COL seemed to react faster with DPPH. The relevance of the CA/COL ratio for the antioxidant activity of rosemary extracts was also analysed. The presence of COL in rosemary extracts increased the antioxidant activity with an optimal CA/COL ratio of 2.5-3.0. Olive extract and grape seed extract seem to be very promising additives for use as technological antioxidants.

Modelo experimental de administración transdérmica de macromoléculas (tinta china e hidroxitirosol) en cobayas / Transdermal administration of macromolecules (Indian ink and hydroxytyrosol). Experimental model in guinea pigs

Introducción: La administración de sustancias por víatransdérmica, mediante electroporación por pulsos cortosde alto voltaje, ha experimentado un enorme desarrollodurante la última década. Material y métodos: Aplicamossobre la piel de cobayas, 5 ml de las suspensiones de tintachina y de hidroxitirosol al 30% en liposomas, aplicandosimultáneamente ondas electromagnéticas durante veinteminutos. Realizamos el estudio morfológico-ultraestructuraly de análisis de imagen mediante biopsias inmediatas ya las 24 y 96 horas y a los 26 días, así como el estudio cromatográficopor HPLC del hidroxitirosol y sus metabolitosen piel, plasma, músculo e hígado. Resultados: Morfológicamenteobservamos partículas de tinta china en el estratocórneo y en los queratinocitos epidérmicos en las biopsiasinmediatas, mientras que en las posteriores, las observamosademás en los anejos y en la dermis papilar y reticular, sinque se observen alteraciones microscópicas ni ultraestructurales.El estudio cromatográfico puso de manifiesto la presenciade hidroxitirosol en todas las muestras analizadas yde algunos de sus metabolitos en hígado y plasma. Conclusión:La electroporación por ondas hectométricas pulsadasha demostrado el transporte transdérmico de dos sustanciasmacromoleculares (tinta china e hidroxitirosol) en cobayas

Introduction: The transdermal administration of substancesvia high-voltage short-pulse electroporation hasundergone tremendous development over this last decade.Material and Methods: 5 ml of suspension of Indian inkand hydroxytyrosol at 30% in liposomes were applied to theof guinea pigs whilst simultaneously applying electromagneticwaves over a twenty-minute period. A study of themorphological-ultrastructure and image-analysis were performedusing biopsies taken at 0, 24 and 96 hours and alsoat 26 days. A chromatographic study was also carried outvia HPLC of the hydroxytyrosol and its metabolites in skin,plasma, muscle and liver. Results: Morphologically speaking,Indian ink particles were observed in the zero hoursbiopsies at the corneous layer and in epidermal keratinocytes,whilst in subsequent biopsies, said particles were alsoobserved in annexes and in the papillar and reticular dermiswith no observed microscopic or ultrastuctural alterations.The chromatographic study revealed the presence ofhydroxytyrosol in all samples analysed and several of itsmetabolites in liver and plasma. Conclusion: Pulsed-hectometric-wave electroporation has demonstrated the transdermaltransport of two macromolecular substances, Indian inkand hydroxytyrosol, in guinea pigs