Rafehi Haloom, Ververis Katherine, Karagiannis Tom C
Department of Epigenomic Medicine, Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, The Alfred Medical Research and Education Precinct, 75 Commercial Road, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
J Diet Suppl. 2012 Jun;9(2):96-109. doi: 10.3109/19390211.2012.682644.
Olive oil, an oil rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFCs) and minor constituents including phenolic compounds, is a major component of the Mediterranean diet. The potential health benefits of the Mediterranean diet were highlighted by the seminal Seven Countries Study, and more contemporary research has identified olive oil as a major element responsible for these effects. It is emerging that the phenolic compounds are the most likely candidates accounting for the cardioprotective and cancer preventative effects of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). In particular, the phenolic compound, hydroxytyrosol has been identified as one of the most potent antioxidants found in olive oil. This review will briefly consider historical aspects of olive oil research and the biological properties of phenolic compounds in olive oil will be discussed. The focus of the discussion will be related to the mechanisms of action of hydroxytyrosol. Studies have demonstrated that hydroxytyrosol induces apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in cancer cells. Further, research has shown that hydroxytyrosol can prevent cardiovascular disease by reducing the expression of adhesion molecules on endothelial cells and preventing the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL). The molecular mechanisms accounting for these effects are reviewed.
橄榄油富含单不饱和脂肪酸（MUFCs）以及包括酚类化合物在内的微量成分，是地中海饮食的主要组成部分。开创性的七国研究突出了地中海饮食对健康的潜在益处，而更多当代研究已确定橄榄油是造成这些影响的主要因素。越来越多的研究表明，酚类化合物最有可能是特级初榨橄榄油（EVOO）具有心脏保护作用和防癌作用的原因。特别是，酚类化合物羟基酪醇已被确定为橄榄油中最有效的抗氧化剂之一。本文将简要回顾橄榄油研究的历史方面，并讨论橄榄油中酚类化合物的生物学特性。讨论的重点将与羟基酪醇的作用机制有关。研究表明，羟基酪醇可诱导癌细胞凋亡并使细胞周期停滞。此外，研究表明，羟基酪醇可通过降低内皮细胞上黏附分子的表达并防止低密度脂蛋白（LDL）氧化来预防心血管疾病。本文对造成这些影响的分子机制进行了综述。
