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Review
. 2017 Mar 20;9(3):306.
doi: 10.3390/nu9030306.

Hydroxytyrosol in the Prevention of the Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders

Affiliations
Review

Hydroxytyrosol in the Prevention of the Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders

Julien Peyrol et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Virgin olive oil (VOO) constitutes the main source of fat in the Mediterranean diet. VOO is rich in oleic acid, displaying health-promoting properties, but also contains minor bioactive components, especially phenolic compounds. Hydroxytyrosol (HT), the main polyphenol of olive oil, has been reported to be the most bioactive component. This review aims to compile the results of clinical, animal and cell culture studies evaluating the effects of HT on the features of Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) (body weight/adiposity, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and hyperglycemia/insulin resistance) and associated complications (oxidative stress and inflammation). HT was able to improve the lipid profile, glycaemia, and insulin sensitivity, and counteract oxidative and inflammatory processes. Experimental studies identified multiple molecular targets for HT conferring its beneficial effect on health in spite of its low bioavailability. However, rodent experiments and clinical trials with pure HT at biologically relevant concentrations are still lacking. Moreover, the roles of intestine and its gut microbiota have not been elucidated.

Keywords: body weight; dyslipidemia; hydroxytyrosol; hyperglycemia; hypertension; inflammation; oleuropein; olive oil; oxidative stress; tyrosol.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Effect of hydroxytyrosol on metabolic syndrome-associated complications and metabolic syndrome. ↑: Increase in; ↓: Decrease in. LDL-c: Low-Density Lipoprotein-cholesterol; HDL-c: High Density Lipoprotein-cholesterol; SBP: Systolic Blood Pressure; DBP: Diastolic Blood Pressure; SOD: Super Oxide Dismutase; Cat: Catalase; oxLDL: oxidized Low-Density Lipoprotein; VCAM-1: Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; ICAM-1: Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; TNF-α: Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha; iNOS: inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase; IL-6: Interleukin-6; COX-2: Cyclooxygenase-2; IL-10: Interleukin-10; NO: Nitric Oxide; P-eNOS/eNOS: Phosphorylated Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase/endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase ratio; cGMP: cyclic Guanosine Monophosphate.

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