Chemometrics-guided plasma lipidomics insights underlying the decrease of plasma total cholesterol and LDLc in...

Higher LDL cholesterol levels are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, and early intervention in children and regular follow-up are keystones for its prevention. Hypercholesterolemia can be partially delayed adopting healthy lifestyles, including healthy diets such as the Mediterranean diet and physical activity. Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), the main edible oil in the Mediterranean diet, has demonstrated cardiovascular benefits.

The present randomized double-blind crossover clinical study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the daily consumption of a spreadable cream based on extra virgin olive oil enriched in phytosterols (0.04-0.06 g plant sterols/kg of body weight/day) for 8 weeks separated by a wash-out period of 4 weeks on children (6-18 years old) with hypercholesterolemia.

Fifty children were included although only 23 reported at least 70% of compliance and were used for final analyses. We used a dual approach combining the determination of anthropometric and biochemical plasma parameters and the lipidomics profile of plasma samples.

Spreadable cream enriched in phytosterols consumption led to a decrease in total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol plasma levels. Multivariate analysis of the lipidomic plasma profile indicated that phospholipids and sphingolipids were mostly involved in modulating the observed effects.

Overall, this study provides a multi-level integrated approach for the characterization of a novel functional food to counteract hypercholesterolemia from a nutritional perspective.

Clinical Trial Registry number and website where it was obtained https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05460208.