The innovative "Bio-Oil Spread" prevents metabolic disorders and mediates preconditioning-like cardioprotection in rats.
Obesity is often associated with an increased cardiovascular risk. The food industry and the associated research activities focus on formulating products that are a perfect mix between an adequate fat content and health. We evaluated whether a diet enriched with Bio-Oil Spread (SD), an olive oil-based innovative food, is cardioprotective in the presence of high-fat diet (HFD)-dependent obesity.



Rats were fed for 16 weeks with normolipidic diet (ND; fat: 6.2%), HFD (fat: 42%), and ND enriched with SD (6.2% of fat + 35.8% of SD). Metabolic and anthropometric parameters were measured. Heart and liver structures were analyzed by histochemical examination. Ischemic susceptibility was evaluated on isolated and Langendorff-perfused cardiac preparations. Signaling was assessed by Western blotting. Compared to ND rats, HFD rats showed increased body weight and abdominal obesity, dyslipidemia, and impaired glucose tolerance. Morphological analyses showed that HFD is associated with heart and liver modifications (hypertrophy and steatosis, respectively), lesser evident in the SD group, together with metabolic and anthropometric alterations. In particular, IGF-1R immunodetection revealed a reduction of hypertrophy in SD heart sections. Notably, SD diet significantly reduced myocardial susceptibility against ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) with respect to HFD through the activation of survival signals (Akt, ERK1/2, and Bcl2). Systolic and diastolic performance was preserved in the SD group.



We suggest that SD may contribute to the prevention of metabolic disorders and cardiovascular alterations typical of severe obesity induced by an HFD, including the increased ischemic susceptibility of the myocardium. Our results pave the way to evaluate the introduction of SD in human alimentary guidelines as a strategy to reduce saturated fat intake.
Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende (CS), Italy.
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Quintieri
Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende (CS), Italy.
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Filice
Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende (CS), Italy.
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Amelio
Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende (CS), Italy.
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Pasqua
Department of Information, Modeling, Electronics and System Engineering, University of Calabria, Rende, Italy.
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Lupi
Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende (CS), Italy.
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Scavello
Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende (CS), Italy.
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Cantafio
Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende (CS), Italy.
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Rocca
ASL San Marco Argentano (CS), Veterinary Medicine Section, Italy.
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Lauria
Department of Biological and Clinical Sciences, San Luigi Gonzaga Hospital, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
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Penna
Department of Information, Modeling, Electronics and System Engineering, University of Calabria, Rende, Italy.
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De Cindio
Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende (CS), Italy; National Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Bologna, Italy. Electronic address: maria_carmela.cerra@unical.it.
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Cerra
Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende (CS), Italy; National Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Bologna, Italy. Electronic address: tommaso.angelone@unical.it.
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Angelone
D050153:Abdominal Fat / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D050154:Adiposity; D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D059305:Diet, High-Fat; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D018149:Glucose Intolerance / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D000067268:Isolated Heart Preparation; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015428:Myocardial Reperfusion Injury / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D056128:Obesity, Abdominal / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000069463:Olive Oil / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017526:Receptor, IGF Type 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left; D020257:Ventricular Remodeling
C000617196:Bcl2 protein, rat; D015415:Biomarkers; D001786:Blood Glucose; D008055:Lipids; D000069463:Olive Oil; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D017526:Receptor, IGF Type 1; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases
Bio-Oil Spread; Cardioprotection; Metabolic disorders; Obesity; Olive oil