Inhibition of NF-κB Activity by Minor Polar Components of Extra-Virgin Olive Oil at Gastric Level

The present work evaluates the effect of olive oil phenols on NF-?B activity in human gastric adenocarcinoma cells. The total phenol content was measured by the Folin Ciocalteu method, whereas the composition was assessed by LC-MS/MS analysis. Secoiridoids represented 71% and 83% of the Italian and Spanish extracts, respectively, phenol alcohols were in the range 913%. Ligustroside aglycone was the most abundant (37% and 46%, respectively, in the Italian and Spanish sample), and the concentration of flavonoids AP and LU was below 1%. Phenol extracts were assayed at 0.25-7.5 mu g/mL, whereas single compounds were at 0.5-25 mu m. Both the extracts inhibited the NF-kappa B driven transcription in a concentration-dependent manner: IC50 for the Italian and the Spanish extract were 0.86 and 1.28 mu g/mL, respectively. The IC50 for individual compounds ranged from 4.5 to 13 mu m. All the compounds under study inhibited nuclear translocation as well. The data suggest that consumption of extra-virgin olive oil may be beneficial for preventing the onset of gastric inflammation leading to more serious diseases. Copyright (c) 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.