Inhibition of Oxidation of Human Low-Density Lipoproteins by Phenolic Substances in Different Essential Oils Varieties

• Published in: Journal of agricultural and food chemistry Vol. 48; no. 9; pp. 3801 - 3805
• Main Authors: Teissedre, P. L, Waterhouse, A. L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 01.09.2000
• Subjects: Aroma and flavouring agent industries; Biological and medical sciences; Food industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General pharmacology; Humans; Lipoproteins, LDL - blood; Lipoproteins, LDL - chemistry; Medical sciences; Oils, Volatile - chemistry; Oxidation-Reduction; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Phenols - chemistry; Cardioprotective agent; Spice; Natural product; Antioxidant; In vitro; Biological activity; Lipoprotein LDL; Plant origin; Phenols; Flavoring crop; Essential oil; Oxidation; Inhibition
• ISSN: 0021-8561; 1520-5118
• DOI: 10.1021/jf990921x

Phenolics antioxidant phytochemicals have been recently implicated for the lower rates of cardiac disease mortality among people consuming a Mediterranean diet. Essential oils are natural products extracted from vegetable materials, which can be used as antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidants, and anti-carcinogenic agents or to preserve and give specific flavors to foods. The activities of 23 selected essential oils in inhibiting the copper-catalyzed oxidation of human-low-density lipoproteins (LDL) were determined in vitro. LDL oxidation was inhibited between 6, 2, and 83% by 2 μM (GAE) total phenolics. The relative inhibition of LDL oxidation was used to categorize the essential oils into four groups below 2% when they contained methylchavicol, anethol, p-cymen, apiole, cinnamic ether; 6−10% if they possessed a majority of carvacrol, thymol, p-cymene, or vanillin; 10−50% for moderate amounts of thymol, carvacrol, cuminol, or eugenol; and 50−100% when eugenol is the major component. Total phenol content of essential oils gave a correlation with LDL antioxidant activity of r = 0.75.The Activity of each phenolics compound could play a role in protecting LDL against oxidation if the substance is absorbed by the body. Keywords: Cardioheartdisease (CHD); LDL oxidation; phenolics compounds; antioxidants; essentials oils