Native vegetable oils: properties and mechanisms

Abstract

Background. Vegetable oils with lipophilic compounds (polyunsaturated fatty acids, tocopherols, phytosterols, carotenoids, organic acids, alcohols, esters, aldehydes, ketones) and hydrophilic (phenolic acids, aldehydes, hydroxycinnamic esters, flavonols, procyanidins) determines a lot of biological properties. Objective of the study. Analysis and systematization of the properties and mechanisms of vegetable oils. Material and Methods. Articles from the PubMed database were selected and analyzed according to the keywords „vegetable oils”,”properties”, “mechanisms”. Results. Vegetable oils have demonstrated antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, regenerative, cytoprotective activity. The antioxidant activity is attributed to scavenging free radicals, inhibited the lipid peroxidation, decrease the levels of conjugated diene, malonic dialdehyde, and increase the gene expression levels and production of some antioxidant enzymes. The anti-inflammatory activity have been attributed by inhibited the high nitric oxide, pro-inflammatory cytokine and prostaglandins, increase the levels of the cytokines, inhibited inflammatory cell infiltration and oxidative damage. The anti-tumor effect involve apoptosis, DNA damage and oxidative stress. Conclusion. The biological properties of vegetable oils have been attributed to polyunsaturated fatty acids, polyphenols, procyanidins, tocopherols, tocotrienols, carotenoids, phytosterols, chlorophylls, flavonols, glucoside constituiens. Introducere. Uleiurile vegetale prin compuşii lipofili (acizi graşi polinesaturaţi, tocoferoli, fitosteroli, carotenoizi, acizi organici, alcooli, esteri, aldehide, cetone) şi hidrofili (acizi fenolici, aldehide, esteri hidroxicinamici, flavonoli, procianidine) determină un şir de proprietăţi biologice. Scopul lucrării. Analiza şi sistematizarea proprietăţilor şi mecanismelor uleiurilor vegetale. Material și Metode. Au fost selectate şi analizate articolele din baza de date PubMed după cuvintele-cheie: „uleiuri vegetale”, „proprietăţi”, „mecanisme”. Rezultate. Uleiurile vegetale au demonstrat activitate antimicrobiană, antioxidantă, antiinflamatoare, antitumorală, regeneratoare, citoprotectoare. Activitatea antioxidantă s-a atribuit captării radicalilor liberi, inhibării peroxidării lipidelor, micşorării nivelului dienelor conjugate, dialdehidei malonice şi creşterii nivelului de expresie şi producere a unor enzime antioxidante. Activitatea antiinflamatoare a fost determinată de inhibarea supraproducţiei oxidului nitric, citokinelor şi prostaglandinelor, majorarea citokinelor antiinflamatoare, diminuarea infiltrării celulelor inflamatoare şi stresului oxidativ. Efectul antitumoral implică apoptoza, afectarea ADNului şi stresul oxidativ. Concluzii. Proprietăţile biologice ale uleiurilor vegetale au fost atribuite acizilor graşi polinesaturaţi, polifenolilor, procianidinelor, tocoferolilor, tocotrienolilor, carotenoizilor, fitosterolilor, clorofilelor, flavonolilor, glucozidelor.