Two highly monounsaturated oils, olive oil and high-oleic sunflower oil, induce different triacylglycerol molecular species distribution in rat liver

Abstract

Olive oil, but not high-oleic sunflower oil, is known to decrease blood pressure levels in patients with essential hypertension. Differences have been found in the minor component and triacylglycerol (TAG) contents. In order to determine whether differences are found in the content of liver lipids after administration of two monunsaturated oils from distinct sources, Wistar rats were fed with olive oil or high-oleic sunflower oil. Both oleic acid-rich oils caused similar effects on liver total lipids, phospholipids and cholesterol. When olive oil was administered to rats, the liver fatty acid content was also very similar to that of rats receiving high-oleic sunflower oil. However, olive oil intake resulted in a greater amount of dioleoylacylglycerol molecular species in rat liver, suggesting an increase in these species synthesis. This effect was not observed in rats consuming high-oleic sunflower oil, although the liver triacylglycerol pool was as high as that of rats receiving olive oil.