Abstract
Olive oil and its derivatives have been described to exert beneficial effects on hypertensive states and cardiovascular disease prevention. We studied the effects of chronic consumption of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), enriched in bioactive compounds from olive fruit and leaves, on blood pressure, endothelial function, oxidative and inflammatory status, and circulating cholesterol levels, in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Thirty SHR were randomly assigned to three groups: a control untreated SHR group, an SHR group (1 mL/rat/day) of a control olive oil (17.6 mg/kg of phenolic compounds), and an SHR group (1 mL/rat/day) of the enriched EVOO (750 mg/kg of phenolic compounds) for eight weeks. Ten Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY) were included as healthy controls. Long-term administration of the enriched EVOO decreased systolic blood pressure and cardiac hypertrophy, and improved the ex vivo aortic endothelial dysfunction measured in SHR. Moreover, enriched oil supplementation reduced the plasma levels of Angiotensin II and total cholesterol, and the urinary levels of endothelin-1 and oxidative stress biomarkers, while pro-inflammatory cytokines were unaffected. In conclusion, sustained treatment with EVOO, enriched in bioactive compounds from the olive fruit and leaves, may be an effective tool for reducing blood pressure and cholesterol levels alone or in combination with pharmacological anti-hypertensive treatment.
Highlights
Hypertension is one of the most powerful risk factors for cardiovascular events, including myocardial infarction and stroke, and its effective treatment reduces cardiovascular morbidity and mortality [1]
Part of the extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) was enriched selectively with three different extracts obtained from the olive oil and olive leaves, which contained mainly 200 mg/kg of hydroxytyrosol, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylglycol, and oleuropein, with a total amount of 750 mg/kg of phenolic compounds in the functional olive oil (FOO)
To analyze whether the changes in the responsiveness to with the two olive oils did not significantly modify the endothelium-dependent vasoconstriction acetylcholine are due to a fault in NO signaling in the vascular smooth muscle, we evaluated the with respect to untreated spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) (Figure 4B)
Summary
Hypertension is one of the most powerful risk factors for cardiovascular events, including myocardial infarction and stroke, and its effective treatment reduces cardiovascular morbidity and mortality [1]. Risks of adverse reaction and medication costs have focused attention on the use of alternative and complementary natural medicines. A systematic review and meta-analysis have evaluated the effect of high versus low polyphenol olive oil on cardiovascular disease risk factors in clinical trials. They found some evidence of the improvements in inflammatory markers and blood pressure, mainly high polyphenol oils conferring some cardiovascular benefits [2]
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