Intestinal Anti-Inflammatory Activity Of Dietary Olive Oil

Publisher Summary Olive oil has been described to have health benefits that include modification of the immune and inflammatory responses, and it has been suggested that these effects may be derived from the antioxidant properties attributed to its components, including the monounsaturated fatty acid oleic acid, as well as tocopherols and phenolic acids, which exhibit antioxidant properties. It is important to note that a situation of intense oxidative insult is a common feature in human IBD, and free radical generation has been proposed to play an important role early on in the pathogenesis of IBD, since it contributes to the initial neutrophil infiltration in the inflamed colonic mucosa. The recruitment and activation of these cells results in a dramatic increase in free radical production that overwhelms the tissue antioxidant protective mechanisms, resulting in a situation of oxidative stress which definitively perpetuates colonic inflammation. As a consequence, a rapid inhibition of free radical generation could contribute to a lower level of leukocyte infiltration into the inflamed tissue with a positive impact on intestinal inflammation. In fact, previous studies have shown that the antioxidant and/or radical scavenging properties of drugs currently used in the treatment of human IBD, like salicylates, play a key role in their beneficial effects. Considering all the above, it is plausible that dietary manipulation with olive oil may exert beneficial effects in these intestinal conditions.