Effects of different dietary oils on inflammatory mediator generation and fatty acid composition in rat neutrophils.

Virgin olive oil (VOO) compared with fish oil (FO) and evening primrose oil (PO) on the ability of stimulated leukocytes to produce inflammatory mediators was investigated in rats. Weaned Wistar rats were fed a basal diet (BD) (2% by weight of corn oil) or diets containing 15% by weight of VOO, PO, or FO. After 8 weeks, glycogen-elicited peritoneal polymorphonuclear leukocytes, mainly neutrophils, were isolated. The calcium-ionophore stimulated neutrophils (2.5 x 10(6) cells/mL) obtained from rats fed the different oils produced a higher release of lysosomal enzymes (beta-glucuronidase, lysozyme, and myeloperoxidase [MPO]) compared with those fed BD. The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in response to the stimulant, 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA), by neutrophils from the VOO group (15.44 nmol of O(2)(-) and 6.56 nmol of H(2)O(2)) was similar to the BD group (12.01 nmol O(2)(-) and 8.49 nmol H(2)O(2)) and significantly lower than the PO (20.90 nmol O(2)(-) and 10.84 nmol H(2)O(2)) and FO (20.93 nmol O(2)(-) and 12.79 nmol H(2)O(2)) groups. The cyclooxygenase-derived eicosanoid production was reduced by the lipid enrichment of the diets. Whereas the generation of prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) was significantly decreased in VOO (5.40 ng/mL), PO (4.95 ng/mL), and FO (1.44 ng/mL) groups compared with BD (8.19 ng/mL), thromboxane B(2) (TXB(2)) reduction was especially significant in neutrophils from the FO diet group (14.67 ng/mL compared with 26.69 ng/mL from BD). These experimental data suggest that FO and PO, as well as VOO, could be considered a valuable strategy in preventing the generation of some inflammatory mediators.

Protective effects upon experimental inflammation models of a polyphenol-supplemented virgin olive oil diet.

OBJECTIVE AND DESIGN: The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of a virgin olive oil enriched diet in acute and chronic inflammation models in rats and to determine the effect of supplementing this oil with a higher content of its polyphenolic fraction. The response was compared to oils rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (high oleic sunflower oil and palm olein) and rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (fish oil). DIETS: Groups of 6-8 male Wistar rats were fed from weaning on six purified diets differing in type of oil: 2% corn oil (basal diet, BD), 15% high oleic sunflower oil (HOSO), 15% virgin olive oil (VOO), 15% virgin olive oil supplemented with 600 p.p.m. polyphenols from this oil (PSVOO), 15% palm olein (POL), and 15% fish oil (FO). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Rats were fed for 8 weeks with BD, HOSO, VOO, PSVOO, POL and FO diets before injecting carrageenan. Rats were fed for 3 weeks with BD, PSVOO and FO diets before induction of adjuvant arthritis. Dietary treatment with or without indomethacin continued during 3 weeks. The data were evaluated using an analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by the least-significant differences. RESULTS: In carrageenan oedema test, the inflammation indices of animals fed on a diet rich in olive oil (VOO) were lower compared to animals fed with oils high in oleic acid (HOSO, POL) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (FO), and markedly diminished in the group fed on PSVOO. In established adjuvant arthritis, the PSVOO diet was even more effective than FO diet in the prevention of inflammation. Both groups of animals showed an increase in weight during the latter days of the experiment compared to the BD. Indomethacin administered to every diet group, exerted a strong inhibitory effect on the inflammatory process throughout which was augmented by the PSVOO and FO diets. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that virgin olive oil with a higher content of polyphenolic compounds, similar to that of extra virgin olive oil, shows protective effects in both models of inflammation and improves the disease associated loss of weight. This supplementation also augmented the effects of drug therapy.

Effect of minor components of virgin olive oil on topical antiinflammatory assays.

Interest in the health-promoting effects of virgin olive oil, an important part of the "Mediterranean diet", prompted us to determine the antiinflammatory effects of erythrodiol, beta-sitosterol and squalene, identified as major components of the so-called "unsaponifiable fraction" of virgin olive oil, as well as of the phenolic compounds from the "polar fraction": oleuropein, tyrosol, hydroxytyrosol and caffeic acid. Their activities were compared to those of both, total unsaponifiable and polar fractions. This study was designed to analyse the antiinflammatory effect of these specific compounds from virgin olive oil on edema in mice induced by either arachidonic acid (AA) or 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol acetate (TPA). The inhibition of the myeloperoxidase (MPO), marker enzyme of the accumulation of neutrophils in the inflamed tissue, was also investigated by the TPA model. The topical application of the olive oil compounds (0.5 mg/ear) produced a variable degree of antiinflammatory effect with both assays. In the auricular edema induced by TPA, beta-sitosterol and erythrodiol from the unsaponifiable fraction of the oil showed a potent antiedematous effect with a 61.4% and 82.1% of inhibition respectively, values not very different to that of the reference indomethacin (85.6%) at 0.5 mg/ear. The four phenolics exerted a similar range of inhibition (33-45%). All compounds strongly inhibited the enzyme myeloperoxidase, indicating a reduction of the neutrophil influx in the inflamed tissues. The strongest inhibitor of AA edema was the total unsaponifiable fraction which inhibition was 34%, similar to that obtained by the reference drug dexamethasone at 0.05 mg/ear. Among the phenolics, oleuropein also produced an inhibition of about 30% with the same dose, but all the other components were found less active in this assay. The anti-inflammatory effects exerted by both unsaponifiable and polar compounds might contribute to the potential biological properties reported for virgin olive oil against different pathological processes.