The present study is based on the development of a straightforward method for the determination (semi-quantification) of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) using \"cryogenic-zone-compression\" (CZC) gas chromatography-single quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC-QMS). The use of CZC (through a loop-type cryogenic modulator) to achieve enhanced signal-to-noise ratios (s/n), enabled a simplification of the sample preparation step. In fact, a single extraction process (using only 500 µL of acetonitrile) was performed prior to injection. The CZC GC-QMS method aligns with the principles of green analytical chemistry, and enabled an average s/n increase of 14-fold compared to conventional GC-QMS. The method limits of quantification were in the 0.07-8.33 µg kg-1 range. Accuracy (at the 2 μg kg-1 and 10 μg kg-1 concentration levels) was in the 82-103 % range. Intra-day and inter-day precision (at 2 μg kg-1 and 10 μg kg-1 concentration levels) were in the 1.9-14.7 % and 5.9-9.1 % ranges, respectively, while the recovery values (at 10 µg kg-1) ranged from 24 % to 99 %. For all the PAHs investigated, a positive matrix effect was observed. Two PAHs were detected (in the selected-ion-monitoring mode) in six EVOOs among the ten samples (not more than one PAH per sample).

Over the last few decades, metabolic syndrome coexisting with cardiovascular disease has evolved into a pandemic, making the need for more food-oriented therapeutic approaches and a redefinition of lifestyle imperative, with the Mediterranean diet being the linchpin of this effort. Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), the key pillar of the Mediterranean diet and one of the most notorious edible oils worldwide, owes its popularity not only to its characteristic aromas and taste but mainly to a series of beneficial health attributes including anti-diabetic, hypolipidemic, anti-hypertensive and anti-obesity actions. In this narrative review, we aimed to illustrate and enlighten EVOO\'s metabolic properties through a pathogenetic approach, investigating its potential role in metabolic and cardiovascular health.

BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) will become the fifth leading cause of death in the world by 2040. It is fundamental to prevent and treat this pathology to reduce its impact on national health costs. This trial\'s aim is to evaluate the effects induced by a combination of consumed functional foods (FFs) with adapted physical activity (APA) on the progression of CKD-related comorbidities.
METHODS: The study lasted 12 weeks. We divided 40 CKD patients into four groups: mixed (FF + APA), APA, FF and control group (usual care). The FFs were characterized by their total antioxidant capacity and antiradical activity. The APA was performed though an online training protocol, three times per week, 1 h each session.
RESULTS: At the end of the study, we observed, in the mixed group, a decrease in azotemia (p = 0.0272), diastolic blood pressure (p = 0.0169), and C-reactive protein (p = 0.0313), with increases in the FORD test (p = 0.0203) and fat free mass (p = 0.0258). The APA group showed a reduction in total cholesterol (p = 0.0039).
CONCLUSIONS: The combination of FFs and APA can help counteract several CKD-related comorbidities, such as arterial hypertension, dyslipidemia and uremic sarcopenia, and improve the CKD patients\' quality of life.

BACKGROUND: Whole-food, plant-based vegan diets, low in oils, and Mediterranean diets, rich in extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), reduce cardiovascular disease risk factors. Optimal quantity of dietary fat, particularly EVOO, is unclear.
RESULTS: In a randomized crossover trial with weekly cooking classes, adults with ≥5% cardiovascular disease risk followed a high (4 tablespoons/day) to low (<1 teaspoon/day) or low to high EVOO whole-food, plant-based diet for 4 weeks each, separated by a 1-week washout. The primary outcome was difference in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) from baseline. Secondary measures were changes in additional cardiometabolic markers. Linear mixed models assessed changes from baseline between phases, with age, sex, and body weight change as covariates. In 40 participants, fat intake comprised 48% and 32% of energy during high and low EVOO phases, respectively. Both diets resulted in comparable reductions in LDL-C, total cholesterol, apolipoprotein B, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, glucose, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (all P<0.05). With diet-sequence interactions for LDL-C, differences were detected between diets by diet order (mean±SEM high to low: Δ-12.7[5.9] mg/dL, P=0.04 versus low to high: Δ+15.8[6.8] mg/dL, P=0.02). Similarly, low to high order led to increased glucose, total cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (all P<0.05). Over period 1, LDL-C reductions were -25.5(5.1) post-low versus -16.7(4.2) mg/dL post-high EVOO, P=0.162, which diminished over period 2.
CONCLUSIONS: Both plant-based diet patterns improved cardiometabolic risk profiles compared with baseline diets, with more pronounced decreases in LDL-C after the low EVOO diet. Addition of EVOO after following a low intake pattern may impede further lipid reductions.
BACKGROUND: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT04828447.

The prevalence of skin aging and the request for effective treatments have driven dermatological research towards natural solutions. This study investigates the anti-aging efficacy of two bioactive natural polyphenols, Oleocanthal and Oleacein, in a skincare formulation. A single-blind, randomized clinical trial involved 70 participants, using a comprehensive exclusion criterion to ensure participant safety and study integrity. Participants applied the Oleocanthal and Oleacein 1% serum formulation twice daily for 30 days. The efficacy was objectively assessed using the VISIA® Skin Analysis System at baseline, after 15 days, and after 30 days. Results indicated significant wrinkle reduction in most groups. For women aged 45-79 years, the mean change was -33.91% (95% CI: -46.75% to -21.07%). For men aged 20-44 years, it was -51.93% (95% CI: -76.54% to -27.33%), and for men aged 45-79 years, it was -46.56% (95% CI: -58.32% to -34.81%). For women aged 20-44 years, the change was -25.68% (95% CI: -63.91% to 12.54%), not statistically significant. These findings highlight the potential of EVOO-derived polyphenols in anti-aging skincare, particularly for older adults. This research paves the way for further exploration into natural compounds in dermatology, particularly for aging skin management.

UNASSIGNED: To demonstrate whether a nutritional supplement enriched with arginine, nucleotides, omega-3 fatty acids, and extra virgin olive oil reduces postoperative complications in patients with tumors in the upper digestive tract.
UNASSIGNED: A randomized, controlled, double-blind, multicenter clinical trial, in which a new immunomodulatory formula with extra virgin olive oil was compared with a standard isoprotein and isoenergetic formula. Patients with gastric, esophageal or biliopancreatic tumors were recruited to receive two units of immunomodulatory formula or control, 5 days before the surgical intervention.
UNASSIGNED: A total of 119 patients were recruited. There was a significant reduction in the number of reinterventions (7.7 vs. 20.4%; p = 0.044) in the intervention group. There was a significant reduction in the development of fistulas in patients with phase angles >5.7°. Also, there were fewer readmissions after biliopancreatic surgeries (0.0 vs. 100%; p = 0.014). The length of hospital stay was similar between groups; however, with the immunomodulatory formula, the patients exhibited greater phase angle at the end of follow-up.
UNASSIGNED: The immunomodulatory formula with extra virgin olive oil administered 5 days before surgery for stomach, esophageal and biliopancreatic tumors improved cellular health and reduced postoperative complications.Clinical trial registration: [https://clinicaltrials.gov/], identifier [NCT04027088].

BACKGROUND: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) represent a diverse group of organic compounds characterized by the fusion of two or more benzene rings arranged in various structural forms. Due to their harmful effects on human health, it is essential to implement monitoring systems and preventive measures to regulate human exposure. Given the affinity of PAHs for lipids, extensive research has been focused on their presence in vegetable oils. This study aimed to develop an on-line liquid-gas chromatography (LC-GC) method (using tandem mass spectrometry) with minimized solvent consumption for the determination of 16 PAHs in extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO).
RESULTS: A side-by-side comparison of the selected-ion-monitoring and the pseudo multiple-reaction-monitoring (p-MRM) acquisition modes was performed, in terms of specificity and detectability. The results obtained using the p-MRM mode were superior, and for this reason it was selected. The method was linear over the concentration range 1-200 μg kg-1 (except in five cases, over 2-200 and 5-200 μg kg-1 ranges). Accuracy (at the 2 μg kg-1 and 20 μg kg-1 concentration levels) was in the 86.9-109.3 % range, with an RSD <10 %. Intra-day and inter-day precision (at 2 μg kg-1 and 20 μg kg-1 concentration levels) were in the 1.2-9.7 % and 3.2-10.8 % ranges, respectively. For all the PAHs, a negative matrix effect was observed. Three out of sixteen PAHs were detected in three EVOOs (among ten samples), albeit at the low ppb level. Limits of quantification were satisfactory in relation to EU legislation on the presence of PAHs in vegetable oils.
CONCLUSIONS: A dilute-and-inject LC-GC-tandem mass spectrometry method is herein proposed fulfilling EU legislation requirements; sample preparation was very simple, inasmuch that it involved only a dilution step, thus avoiding extraction, clean-up, and thus a high consumption of organic solvents. In fact, considering both oil dilution and the LC mobile phase, less than 8 mL of solvents were used.

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is a symbol of the Mediterranean diet, constituting its primary source of fat. The beneficial effect of EVOO is strictly related to the presence of fatty acids and polyphenols, bioactive compounds endowed with nutraceutical properties. Among EVOO polyphenols, lignans possess a steroid-like chemical structure and are part of the phytoestrogen family, which is renowned for its health properties. The natural lignans (+)-pinoresinol and 1-acetoxypinoresinol (1-AP) are commonly present in olives and in EVOO. Although (+)-pinoresinol is found in different edible plants, such as flaxseed, beans, whole-grain cereals, sesame seeds, and certain vegetables and fruit, 1-AP was exclusively identified in olives in 2000. So far, the scientific literature has extensively covered different aspects of (+)-pinoresinol, including its isolation and nutraceutical properties. In contrast, less is known about the olive lignan 1-AP. Therefore, this review aimed to comprehensively evaluate the more important aspects of 1-AP, collecting all the literature from 2016 to the present, exploring its distribution in different cultivars, analytical isolation and purification, and nutraceutical properties.

The olive oil sector is a fundamental food in the Mediterranean diet. It has been demonstrated that the consumption of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) with a high content of phenolic compounds is beneficial in the prevention and/or treatment of many diseases. The main objective of this work was to study the relationship between the content of phenolic compounds and the in vitro neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory activity of EVOOs from two PDOs in the province of Granada. To this purpose, the amounts of phenolic compounds were determined by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) and the inhibitory activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) enzymes by spectrophotometric and fluorimetric assays. The main families identified were phenolic alcohols, secoiridoids, lignans, flavonoids, and phenolic acids. The EVOO samples with the highest total concentration of compounds and the highest inhibitory activity belonged to the Picual and Manzanillo varieties. Statistical analysis showed a positive correlation between identified compounds and AChE and COX-2 inhibitory activity, except for lignans. These results confirm EVOO\'s compounds possess neuroprotective potential.

UNASSIGNED: The maintenance of endothelial barrier function is essential for vasal homeostasis and prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Among the toxic stimuli involved in the initiation of atherosclerotic lesions, Gram negative lipopolysaccharide (LPS) has been reported to be able to trigger endothelial dysfunction, through the alteration of barrier permeability and inflammatory response. Hydroxytyrosol (HT) and tyrosol (Tyr), the major phenolic compounds of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), as wells as their circulating sulphated and glucuronidated metabolites have been shown to exert anti-inflammatory effects at endothelial level.
UNASSIGNED: In this study we investigated the protective effects of HT and Tyr metabolites on LPS-induced alteration of permeability in Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells (HUVEC) monolayers and examined underlying signaling pathways, focusing on tight junction (TJ) proteins, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and NOD-, LRR-and pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation.
UNASSIGNED: It was shown that LPS-increased permeability in HUVEC cells was due to the alteration of TJ protein level, following the activation of MAPK and NLRP3. HT and Tyr sulphated and glucuronidated metabolites were able to limit the effects exerted by LPS, acting as signaling molecules with an efficacy comparable to that of their precursors HT and Tyr.
UNASSIGNED: The obtained results add a further piece to the understanding of HT and Tyr metabolites mechanisms of action in vascular protection.