Cardiovascular and Metabolic Benefits of Extra Virgin Olive Oil Phenolic Compounds: Mechanistic Insights from In Vivo Studies.

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) represents a significant source of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and vitamin E, but it is also considered a functional food, due to the content of peculiar bioactive molecules, such as phenolic compounds, being able to modulate various processes related to aging and the most common metabolic and degenerative diseases. A lot of experimental research has focused on some of these components, but in most cases, the studies were performed in vitro testing compounds at non-physiological concentrations and achieving results that cannot easily be translated in vivo. Recent clinical studies demonstrated that in vivo these compounds are able to regulate physiological functions and prevent several pathological events including metabolic and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), which represent the main causes of death worldwide.

Metabolite Profiling, through LC-ESI/LTQOrbitrap/MS Analysis, of Antioxidant Extracts from L.

Due to the increasing use of L. as a food supplement and starting material for tea preparation, a comprehensive analysis of green extracts was performed. Two different extraction methods were applied to yellow L.

In Vitro Antiviral Activity of Hyperbranched Poly-L-Lysine Modified by L-Arginine against Different SARS-CoV-2 Variants.

The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants requires close monitoring to prevent the reoccurrence of a new pandemic in the near future. The Omicron variant, in particular, is one of the fastest-spreading viruses, showing a high ability to infect people and evade neutralization by antibodies elicited upon infection or vaccination. Therefore, the search for broad-spectrum antivirals that can inhibit the infectious capacity of SARS-CoV-2 is still the focus of intense research.

Ancient DNA re-opens the question of the phylogenetic position of the Sardinian pika Prolagus sardus (Wagner, 1829), an extinct lagomorph.

Palaeogenomics is contributing to refine our understanding of many major evolutionary events at an unprecedented resolution, with relevant impacts in several fields, including phylogenetics of extinct species. Few extant and extinct animal species from Mediterranean regions have been characterised at the DNA level thus far. The Sardinian pika, Prolagus sardus (Wagner, 1829), was an iconic lagomorph species that populated Sardinia and Corsica and became extinct during the Holocene.

Olive Oil Phenolic Compounds' Activity against Age-Associated Cognitive Decline: Clinical and Experimental Evidence.

Epidemiological studies have shown that consuming olive oil rich in phenolic bioactive compounds is associated with a lower risk of neurodegenerative diseases and better cognitive performance in aged populations. Since oxidative stress is a common hallmark of age-related cognitive decline, incorporating exogenous antioxidants could have beneficial effects on brain aging. In this review, we firstly summarize and critically discuss the current preclinical evidence and the potential neuroprotective mechanisms.

Effects of Wine and Tyrosol on the Lipid Metabolic Profile of Subjects at Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: Potential Cardioprotective Role of Ceramides.

Ceramides are a class of sphingolipids which have recently been shown to be better cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk predictors than traditional CVD risk biomarkers. Tyrosol (TYR) is a dietary phenolic compound known to possess cardioprotective effects per se or through its in vivo active metabolite hydroxytyrosol. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of the co-administration of white wine (WW) and TYR on circulating levels of ceramides and other lipids in humans at high CVD risk.

Ferulic Acid Metabolites Attenuate LPS-Induced Inflammatory Response in Enterocyte-like Cells.

Ferulic acid (FA) is a polyphenol pertaining to the class of hydroxycinnamic acids present in numerous foods of a plant origin. Its dietary consumption leads to the formation of several phase I and II metabolites in vivo, which represent the largest amount of ferulates in the circulation and in the intestine in comparison with FA itself. In this work, we evaluated their efficacy against the proinflammatory effects induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in intestinal Caco-2 cell monolayers, as well as the mechanisms underlying their protective action.

Solvent-free Reactions for the Synthesis of Indolenine-based Squaraines and Croconaines: Comparison of Thermal Heating, Mechanochemical Milling, and IR Irradiation.

Squaraines and croconaines are organic dyes characterized by intense absorption in the visible or near-infrared spectral regions with applications ranging from biology to material sciences. They are commonly synthesized by condensation reactions of oxocarbonic acids (squaric or croconic acid, respectively) with electron-rich aromatic compounds in high-boiling organic solvents. Here, a simple, cost-effective, and environmentally benign process was developed for the synthesis of indolenine-based squaraines and croconaines under solvent-free conditions.

Modulation of LPS-induced nitric oxide production in intestinal cells by hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol metabolites: Insight into the mechanism of action.

At intestinal level, after acute or chronic exposure to iNOS-derived NO, a toxic mechanism of action leads to inflammation and degenerative diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of glucuronide and sulfate metabolites of the extra virgin olive oil phenols tyrosol (Tyr) and hydroxytyrosol (HT), in comparison with their parent compounds, on the release of NO following exposure to a pro-inflammatory stimulus, the bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Human colon adenocarcinoma cells (Caco-2), differentiated as normal enterocytes, were treated with pathological concentrations of LPS, in order to stimulate iNOS pathway, which involves NF-ĸB activation through IĸBα phosphorylation and subsequent degradation induced by Akt or MAPKs.

Biogenic amines and other polar compounds in long aged oxidized Vernaccia di Oristano white wines.

Oxidized white wines are produced by techniques that provide a barrel ageing which can range from a few years to some decades. This step, characterized by the metabolic activity of peculiar strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast, can affect the chemical composition of these wines and the production of unwanted substances such as biogenic amines. In this study, Vernaccia di Oristano wines from different vintages have been analysed for the first time regarding the content of biogenic amines and amino acids (by HPLC-FLD), and polar compounds (by HPLC-DAD and LC-MS).

Insight into the Chemical Diversity of Late/Ice Harvest Gewürztraminer Wine.

Late harvest (LHW) and ice harvest (IHW) Gewürztraminer wine samples from Croatia (Ilok) were investigated. Their technological parameters, chromaticity coordinates, total phenols content, and antioxidant capacity were determined. 5-(Hydroxymethyl)furfural, xanthine, and trans-caftaric acid were analyzed in the samples by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC-DAD).

Evaluation of natural occurring bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity in Nuragus white wines.

The aim of the present study is to highlight volatile and targeted non-volatile bioactive compounds in Nuragus wines, as a part of Italian DOC (Controlled Origin Designation) white wines. So far there has not been any systematic study of the chemical compositions and antioxidant activity of this monovarietal wine. Phenolic compounds, volatiles and organic acids were analysed and antioxidant capacity was assessed by spectrophotometric assays.

Phenolic Compounds, Volatiles and Antioxidant Capacity of White Myrtle Berry Liqueurs.

The aim of this research was to evaluate the antioxidant capacity and physical-chemical characteristics of commercial white myrtle berry (Myrtus communis L. var. leucocarpa DC) liqueur (WMBL).

Hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol sulfate metabolites protect against the oxidized cholesterol pro-oxidant effect in Caco-2 human enterocyte-like cells.

The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of the sulfate metabolites of hydroxytyrosol (HT) and tyrosol (TYR) to act as antioxidants counteracting the pro-oxidant effect of oxidized cholesterol in intestinal cells. For this purpose, we synthesized sulfate metabolites of HT and TYR using a chemical methodology and examined their antioxidant activity in Caco-2 monolayers in comparison with the parent compounds. Exposure to oxidized cholesterol led to ROS production, oxidative damage, as indicated by the MDA increase, a decrease of reduced glutathione concentration and an enhancement of glutathione peroxidase activity.

Wine extracts from Sardinian grape varieties attenuate membrane oxidative damage in Caco-2 cell monolayers.

One of the most important sites of polyphenol action seems to be in the gastrointestinal system before absorption. We investigated the ability of three wine phenolic extracts, obtained from grape varieties grown in Sardinia, Cannonau (red), Vermentino and Malvasia (white), to exert an antioxidant action against tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBH)-induced oxidative damage to Caco-2 cell monolayers as a model system of the human intestine. TBH treatment caused the disruption of epithelial integrity, measured as transepithelial electrical resistance, and markers of the peroxidation process of membrane lipids, MDA, fatty acid hydroperoxides and 7-ketocholesterol.

Protective effect of simple phenols from extravirgin olive oil against lipid peroxidation in intestinal Caco-2 cells.

Complex polyphenols present in extravirgin olive oil are not directly absorbed, but undergo gastrointestinal biotransformation, increasing the relative amount of tyrosol (TYR) and hydroxytyrosol (HT) entering the small and large intestine. We investigated the capacity of TYR and HT to inhibit the insult of dietary lipid hydroperoxydes on the intestinal mucosa, using cultures of Caco-2, a cell line with enterocyte-like features, and studying the effect of tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBH) treatment on specific cell membrane lipid targets. The effect of homovanillic alcohol (HVA), metabolite of HT in humans and detected as metabolite of HT in Caco-2 cells, was also evaluated.

Protective effect of hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol against oxidative stress in kidney cells.

Bioavailability studies in animals and humans fed with extravirgin olive oil demonstrated that hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol, the major simple phenolic compounds in extravirgin olive oil, are dose-dependently absorbed and excreted. Once absorbed, they undergo extensive metabolism; hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol concentrate mainly in the kidney, where they may exert an important role in the prevention of oxidative stress induced renal dysfunction. In this study we monitored the ability of hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol to protect renal cells (LLC-PK1) following oxidative damage induced by H2O2.

Protective effect of hydroxytyrosol and its metabolite homovanillic alcohol on H(2)O(2) induced lipid peroxidation in renal tubular epithelial cells.

We investigated the capacity of hydroxytyrosol (HT), 3,4-dihydroxyphenylethanol, and homovanillic alcohol (HVA), 4-hydroxy-3-methoxy-phenylethanol, to inhibit H(2)O(2) induced oxidative damage in LLC-PK1, a porcine kidney epithelial cell line, studying the effect of H(2)O(2) on specific cell membrane lipid targets, unsaturated fatty acids and cholesterol. Exposure to H(2)O(2) induced a significant increase of the level of MDA together with a disruption of the membrane structure, with the loss of unsaturated fatty acids, cholesterol and alpha-tocopherol, and the formation of fatty acids hydroperoxides and 7-ketocholesterol. Pretreatment with HT protected renal cells from oxidative damage: the level of membrane lipids was preserved and there was no significant detection of oxidation products.

Protective effect of olive oil minor polar components against oxidative damage in rats treated with ferric-nitrilotriacetate.

The phenolic fraction of virgin olive oil exerts preventive effects against reactive oxygen species mediated degenerative diseases. To investigate its action as inhibitor of lipid peroxidation in vivo, we treated Wistar rats with olive oil minor polar components (MPC) (25-50 mg/kg bw) prior to the administration of a sublethal dose (15 mg Fe/kg bw) of ferric-nitrilotriacetate (Fe-NTA). Intraperitoneal injection (i.

Lipid peroxidation in plasma of rats treated with ferric-nitrilotriacetate, in relation to kidney and liver modifications.

Intraperitoneal injection of the iron chelate ferric-nitrilotriacetate (Fe-NTA) induces in rodents renal and hepatic suffering, associated with oxidative damage. We investigated the oxidation pattern in plasma of treated rats in relation to liver and kidney, monitoring the variation of the lipid components more susceptible to oxidation, unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) and alpha-tocopherol, as biomarkers of the oxidative damage. A sublethal dose of Fe-NTA induced a strong and extremely significant decrease of UFA levels at 1 h after injection in the plasma compartment and at 3 h in the kidney, with reductions up to 40-50% of the control values, together with an increase of conjugated dienes fatty acids hydroperoxides and a consumption of alpha-tocopherol.

Growth phase-dependent expression of an endoglucanase encoding gene (eglS) in Streptomyces rochei A2.

Different growth phases of Streptomyces rochei A2, a cellulolytic strain isolated from termite gut, were determined in liquid culture. The strain exhibited a multiphasic growth curve typical of streptomycetes. In S.

L-ergothioneine modulates oxidative damage in the kidney and liver of rats in vivo: studies upon the profile of polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Background & Aims: L-ergothioneine is a fungal metabolite exhibiting antioxidant functions in cells. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of oral administration of L-ergothioneine on the oxidative damage in vivo caused by the Fenton reagent ferric-nitrilotriacetate.

Methods: Rats were supplemented with L-ergo prior to the administration of acute dose of ferric-nitrilotriacetate.

Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol decreases extracellular GABA and increases extracellular glutamate and dopamine levels in the rat prefrontal cortex: an in vivo microdialysis study.

Cannabinoid modulation of prefrontal cortex and hippocampus neuronal functioning has been correlated to the disruptive action of marijuana on memory tasks. This study investigates the effects of delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta(9)-THC) on dopamine, glutamate and GABA levels in vivo by brain microdialysis in the prefrontal cortex. Delta(9)-THC (1 mg/kg, i.

The antioxidant cocktail effective microorganism X (EM-X) inhibits oxidant-induced interleukin-8 release and the peroxidation of phospholipids in vitro.

The antioxidant beverage EM-X is derived from the ferment of unpolished rice, papaya, and sea-weeds with effective microorganisms. Oxidative stress enhances the expression of proinflammatory genes, causing the release of the chemokine interleukin-8 (IL-8), which mediates a multitude of inflammatory events. Human alveolar epithelial cells (A549) were treated with H(2)O(2) (100 microM) or TNF-alpha (10ng/ml) alone or with the addition of EM-X (100 microl/ml), incubated for 20h, and the release of IL-8, measured using ELISA.

The effect of ferric-nitrilotriacetic acid on the profile of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the kidney and liver of rats.

Intraperitoneal injection of the iron-complex, ferric-nitrilotriacetate (Fe-NTA), induces renal proximal tubular damage associated with oxidative damage in vivo. Fe-NTA induced a time-dependent decrease of several polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), together with increased conjugated diene values and decreased cellular levels of alpha-tocopherol and glutathione. At the time of maximum detectable oxidation (3 h), after the injection of a sublethal dose of Fe-NTA there were clear reductions in the peak values over the controls for several fatty acids notably, 20:5 (eicosapentaenoic acid) (36%), 22:6 (docosahexanoic acid) (30%), 20:3 n6 (eicosatrienoic acid) (30%) and 20:4 (arachidonic acid) (28%) in the kidney.