Effects of virgin olive oils differing in their bioactive compound contents on biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation in healthy adults: a randomized double-blind controlled trial

A regular consumption of virgin olive oil (VOO) is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. We aimed to assess whether the raw intake of an optimized VOO (OVOO, 490 ppm of phenolic compounds and 86 ppm of triterpenes), and a functional olive oil (FOO, 487 ppm of phenolic compounds and enriched with 389 ppm of triterpenes) supplementation (30 mL per day) during three weeks would provide additional health benefits to those produced by a standard VOO (124 ppm of phenolic compounds and 86 ppm of triterpenes) on oxidative and inflammatory biomarkers. Fifty-one healthy adults participated in a randomized, crossover, and controlled study. Urinary 8-hidroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine, plasma interleukin-8 (IL-8), and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF- α) concentrations were lower after the intervention with the FOO than after the OVOO (p = 0.033, p = 0.011 and p = 0.020, respectively). In addition, IL-8 was lower after the intervention with FOO than after VOO intervention (p = 0.002). This study provides a first level of evidence on the in vivo health benefits of olive oil triterpenes (oleanolic and maslinic acids) in healthy humans, decreasing DNA oxidation and plasma inflammatory biomarkers. The trial was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT02520739.
The “NUTRAOLEUM Study” has been supported by the grant ITC-20131031 from the I+D FEDER-INTERCONNECTA (CDTI) and Junta de Andalucía, Spain. We thank ACER CAMPESTRES S.L., SAN FRANCISCO DE ASIS Coop. And., and AGROINSUR S.L., for the funding provided. We appreciate the support received from the workers of the clinical trials unit of the “Virgen de las Nieves” and “San Cecilio” hospitals by finding subjects for the study and for their involvement in the intervention; we thank Laura Campaña Martín, Maria Victoria Martín Laguna and Mª Cruz Rico Prados who carried out technical work, sample preparation and biomarker analyses, and Llenalia Garcia Fernández, who supervised the statistical analysis
We acknowledge support by the CSIC Open Access Publication Initiative through its Unit of Information Resources for Research (URICI)