Article Impact Level: HIGH Data Quality: STRONG Summary of Food Bioscience, 62, 105487. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fbio.2024.105487 Dr. Mateu Anguera-Tejedor et al.
Points
- Mediterranean plants like garlic, hawthorn, saffron, olive, rosemary, and grapevine contain bioactive compounds with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and vasodilatory effects, potentially addressing atherosclerosis and hypertension.
- Compounds such as quercetin and oleuropein regulate lipid metabolism, reduce oxidative stress and improve blood flow, promising to prevent cardiovascular events like heart attacks and strokes.
- Despite encouraging in vitro and animal studies, robust clinical trials and standardized protocols are needed to validate these compounds’ efficacy and safety in humans.
- Combined ingestion of plant extracts may alter their efficacy due to interactions between dietary components, highlighting the need for detailed pharmacokinetic and toxicological studies.
- These bioactive compounds show promise for integration into treatment regimens or development as phytomedicines, contingent on further research and long-term safety assessments.
Summary
This review investigates the potential therapeutic applications of bioactive compounds from selected Mediterranean plants, which are integral to the Mediterranean diet and have been suggested to support cardiovascular health. Key plant species analyzed include Allium sativum (garlic), Crataegus monogyna (hawthorn), Crocus sativus (saffron), Olea europaea (olive), Salvia rosmarinus (rosemary), and Vitis vinifera (grapevine). These plants contain compounds such as diallyl trisulfide, quercetin, crocin, oleuropein, rosmarinic acid, and resveratrol, demonstrating antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and vasodilatory effects. These properties are particularly relevant to conditions like atherosclerosis and hypertension, which are critical contributors to cardiovascular disease (CVD), the leading cause of global mortality, accounting for 32% of deaths in 2019.
The review highlights the significant pharmacological mechanisms of these bioactive compounds, such as their role in regulating lipid metabolism and reducing oxidative stress. These mechanisms could help prevent cardiovascular events like heart attacks and strokes. For example, compounds like quercetin and oleuropein are shown to have vasodilatory effects, potentially improving blood flow and reducing arterial stiffness. Despite promising in vitro and animal model results, the review stresses that more robust clinical and preclinical studies are needed to confirm the efficacy of these compounds in humans. Additionally, the review identifies gaps in current research, including the need for standardized clinical protocols and long-term safety assessments to guide future therapeutic applications.
One critical consideration discussed in the review is the potential “matrix effect” that may arise from the combined ingestion of these plant extracts. This effect suggests that the interaction between different dietary components could alter the efficacy of each extract, either enhancing or diminishing its benefits. Researchers caution that while natural extracts show promise, their safety, and effectiveness should be rigorously tested through pharmacokinetic, toxicological, and clinical studies to ensure they can be safely integrated into treatment regimens and serve as the basis for future phytomedicines.
Link to the article: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2212429224019187
References Anguera-Tejedor, M., Garrido, G., Garrido-Suárez, B. B., Ardiles-Rivera, A., Bistué-Rovira, À., Jiménez-Altayó, F., & Delgado-Hernández, R. (2024). Exploring the therapeutic potential of bioactive compounds from selected plant extracts of Mediterranean diet constituents for cardiovascular diseases: A review of mechanisms of action, clinical evidence, and adverse effects. Food Bioscience, 62, 105487. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fbio.2024.105487
