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November 18, 2002
4 Min Read
HIDROX
The Mediterranean diet has been touted for its ability tobenefit cardiovascular wellness and combat disease. Researchers have correlatedthese benefits to the high levels of antioxidants in the diet from freshproduce, red wine and olives. Olive oil has also been seen as the heart-healthychoice for its antioxidant content. While polyphenols are present in extractedolive oil, olive water contains even higher concentrations of these polyphenols.High-quality, extra virgin olive oil may contain between 100 and 300 mcg ofpolyphenols per liter of oil, while the concentration in olive water is 300 to500 times greater.
Roberto Crea, Ph.D., president of CreAgri in Hayward, Calif.,developed a patented process to isolate hydroxytyrosol from olive pulp,eliminating foreign compounds and maximizing the high activity compound. Theingredient is known as HIDROX. Hydroxytyrosol is the active portion ofoleuropein, the antioxidant found in olive leaf. Compared to oleuropein,hydroxytyrosol has significantly higher antioxidant capacity, according tolaboratory tests. Brunswick Labs in Wareham, Mass., tested the Oxygen RadicalAbsorbance Capacity (ORAC) of both compounds and showed 27,000 ORAC for HIDROXversus 12,200 ORAC for olive leaf.
CreAgri developed a proprietary two-step process to utilizeolive water rich in antioxidant polyphenols. The process is protected by twoU.S. patents (No. 6,165,475 and 6,197,308). First, the pits are removed from thepulp of the olives; the pitless pulp is then crushed and washed with water toobtain a paste including olive oil, vegetation water and solid by-products.Finally, the water is separated and processed with citric acid to stabilize theingredient, retaining highest antioxidant activity.
Olive polyphenols have been studied for their generalantioxidant capabilities. One in vitro study investigated the scavenging actionsof both hydroxytyrosol and oleuropein and found both were potent scavengers ofsuperoxide radicals and inhibitors of neutrophils respiratory burst.1A study on 14 healthy humans found that plasma antioxidant capacity increasedsignificantly when taking phenols from olive oil.2
Other studies concentrated specifically on the antioxidantcapacity in olive water. One researcher hypothesized that because olive paste iswashed with water during milling, the wastewater extracts could represent a"cheap, as yet unused, source of natural antioxidants."3 Arat study using a hydroxytyrosol-rich olive mill waste water (OMWW) extract (10mg/kg) demonstrated that hydroxytyrosol was dose-dependently absorbed and wasassociated with an increase of plasma antioxidant capacity.4 Anotherrat study indicated that a low dose of hydroxytyrosol reduced the consequencesof smoke-induced oxidative stress.5
Further research has examined the ability of olive polyphenolsto impact several health conditions. A research review published in the EuropeanJournal of Cancer noted, "compounds present in olive oil are potentinhibitors of free radical generation," opening possibilities for futurechemopreventive strategies.6 An in vitro study examined the effectsof hydroxytyrosol on survival of a HL60 cell line and found the compounddown-regulated immunological response, possibly explaining the anti-inflammatoryand chemoprotective effects of olive oil in the intestines.7
In the realm of cardiovascular health, hydroxytyrosol mayinhibit lipid peroxidation. Researchers studied the formation of isoprostanes (amarker of lipid peroxidation) during in vitro low-density lipoprotein (LDL or"bad") oxidation and found hydroxytyrosol inhibited production ofmarkers of lipid peroxidation.8 Hydroxytyrosol also has antimicrobialactivity. In a review of how polyphenols in olives inhibit the growth ofbacteria and fungi, hydroxytyrosol was found to have broad antimicrobialactivity.9 In fact, hydroxytyrosol showed higher antimicrobialactivity than oleuropein.
Researchers have also shown that oleuropein may be less wellabsorbed in the intestines than hydroxytyrosol. In a rat study investigating theintestinal absorption of oleuropein, researchers concluded that the compound"or its metabolites" may confer an antioxidant effect, but thatoleuropein was poorly absorbed.10
Pre-clinicals on toxicity of HIDROX have shown that single-doseadministration orally and dermally failed to produce any adverse effects in miceand appeared to be well tolerated. CreAgri is on an expedited path for GRAS(generally recognized as safe) filing in the United States and hopes to berecognized as a novel food ingredient in Europe, expanding the current marketbeyond nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals into functional foods.
References
Visioli F et al. "Free radical-scavenging properties of olive oil polyphenols." Biochem Biophys Res Comm, 247:60-4, 1998.
Bonanome A et al. "Evidence of postprandial absorption of olive oil phenols in humans." Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis, 10, 3:111-20, 2000.
Visioli F et al. "Waste waters from olive oil product are rich in natural antioxidants." Experientia, 51, 1:32-4, 1995.
Visioli F et al. "Hydroxytyrosol, as a component of olive mill waste water, is dose-dependently absorbed and increases the antioxidant capacity of rat plasma." Free Radic Res, 34, 3:301-5, 2001.
Visioli F et al. "Olive phenol hydroxytyrosol prevents passive smoking-induced oxidative stress." Circulation, 102:2169-71, 2000.
Owen RW et al. "The antioxidant/anticancer potential of phenolic compounds isolated from olive oil." Eur J Cancer, 36, 10:1235-47, 2000.
Ragione FD et al. "Hydroxytyrosol, a natural molecule occurring in olive oil, induces cytochrome c-dependent apoptosis." Biochem Biophys Res Commun, 278, 3:799-9, 2000.
Salami M et al. "Formation of F2-isoprostanes in oxidized low-density lipoprotein: inhibitory effect of hydroxytyrosol." Pharmacol Res, 31, 5:275-9, 1995.
Bisignano G et al. "On the in-vitro antimicrobial activity of oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol." J Pharm Pharmacol, 51, 8:971-4, 1999.
Edgecombe SC et al. "Oleuropein, an antioxidant polyphenol from olive oil, is poorly absorbed from isolated perfused rat intestine." J Nutr, 130:2996-3002, 2000.
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