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Copyright ©The Author(s) 2019. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Stem Cells. Dec 26, 2019; 11(12): 1045-1064
Published online Dec 26, 2019. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.v11.i12.1045
Influence of olive oil and its components on mesenchymal stem cell biology
Antonio Casado-Díaz, Gabriel Dorado, José Manuel Quesada-Gómez
Antonio Casado-Díaz, CIBER de Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBERFES), Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Córdoba 14004, Spain
Gabriel Dorado, Departement Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Campus Rabanales C6-1-E17, Campus de Excelencia Internacional Agroalimentario (ceiA3), Universidad de Córdoba, CIBERFES, Córdoba 14071, Spain
José Manuel Quesada-Gómez, Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Endocrinología y Nutrición, CIBER de Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBERFES), Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Córdoba 14004, Spain
Author contributions: Casado-Díaz A and Quesada-Gómez JM designed the study; Casado-Díaz A, Dorado G and Quesada Gómez JM conducted reviews and literature analyses, and drafted, edited and approved the manuscript.
Supported by grants “ Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable” (CIBERFES) of “ Instituto de Salud Carlos III” (ISCIII), No. PI15/01857, PI18/01659 and CIBER.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: José Manuel Quesada-Gómez, MD, Doctor, CIBER de Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBERFES), Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Endocrinología y Nutrición, Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, 14004 Córdoba, Spain. md1qugoj@uco.es
Telephone: +34-95-7213814
Received: March 15, 2019
Peer-review started: March 18, 2019
First decision: June 18, 2019
Revised: August 29, 2019
Accepted: November 4, 2019
Article in press: November 4, 2019
Published online: December 26, 2019
Abstract

Extra virgin olive oil is characterized by its high content of unsaturated fatty acid residues in triglycerides, mainly oleic acid, and the presence of bioactive and antioxidant compounds. Its consumption is associated with lower risk of suffering chronic diseases and unwanted processes linked to aging, due to the antioxidant capacity and capability of its components to modulate cellular signaling pathways. Consumption of olive oil can alter the physiology of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). This may explain part of the healthy effects of olive oil consumption, such as prevention of unwanted aging processes. To date, there are no specific studies on the action of olive oil on MSCs, but effects of many components of such food on cell viability and differentiation have been evaluated. The objective of this article is to review existing literature on how different compounds of extra virgin olive oil, including residues of fatty acids, vitamins, squalene, triterpenes, pigments and phenols, affect MSC maintenance and differentiation, in order to provide a better understanding of the healthy effects of this food. Interestingly, most studies have shown a positive effect of these compounds on MSCs. The collective findings support the hypothesis that at least part of the beneficial effects of extra virgin olive oil consumption on health may be mediated by its effects on MSCs.

Keywords: Olive oil, Mesenchymal stem cells, Cellular differentiation, Aging, Cellular niche, Mediterranean diet

Core tip: Extra virgin olive oil consumption is healthy and prevents unwanted effects of aging. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) populations may be positively affected by olive oil components, through their antioxidant capacity and interactions with cell signaling pathways, accounting for at least part of olive oil’s beneficial health effects. In the absence of specific studies on olive oil and MSCs, the objective of this work is to provide a critical review of the current information on how compounds that are part of extra virgin olive oil, including residues of fatty acids, vitamins, squalene, triterpenes, pigments and phenols, affect MSC maintenance and differentiation.