Olive oil and its derivatives have been described to exert beneficial effects on hypertensive states and cardiovascular disease prevention. We studied the effects of chronic consumption of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), enriched in bioactive compounds from olive fruit and leaves, on blood pressure, endothelial function, oxidative and inflammatory status, and circulating cholesterol levels, in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Thirty SHR were randomly assigned to three groups: a control untreated SHR group, an SHR group (1 mL/rat/day) of a control olive oil (17.6 mg/kg of phenolic compounds), and an SHR group (1 mL/rat/day) of the enriched EVOO (750 mg/kg of phenolic compounds) for eight weeks. Ten Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY) were included as healthy controls. Long-term administration of the enriched EVOO decreased systolic blood pressure and cardiac hypertrophy, and improved the ex vivo aortic endothelial dysfunction measured in SHR. Moreover, enriched oil supplementation reduced the plasma levels of Angiotensin II and total cholesterol, and the urinary levels of endothelin-1 and oxidative stress biomarkers, while pro-inflammatory cytokines were unaffected. In conclusion, sustained treatment with EVOO, enriched in bioactive compounds from the olive fruit and leaves, may be an effective tool for reducing blood pressure and cholesterol levels alone or in combination with pharmacological anti-hypertensive treatment.
Keywords: endothelial function; extra virgin olive oil; hypertension; phenolic compounds.