Babassu (Attalea glassmanii Zona) Nut Oil Is More Effective than Olive Oil for Treating Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in Western civilizations. The type of fatty acid which makes up the diet is related to the cardiovascular morbimortality and the formation of atheromas. Populations with high consumption of oils and fats have a higher number of deaths from CVD. PURPOSE: In the present study, the objective was to comparatively analyze the microcirculatory effects of unrefined babassu oil with olive oil in microcirculation and liver of male hamsters of the species Mesocricetus auratus, checking the permeability to macromolecules after ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) without and with topical application of histamine 5 × 10(−6) M. This is an experimental study, using as model the hamster's cheek pouch, which was prepared for intravital microscopy. The hamsters were divided into seven groups and orally treated for 14 days, twice a day (at 8 AM and 4 PM), orally received treatments in the following doses: unrefined babassu oil (BO) 0.02 mL/dose (group BO-2), 0.06 mL/dose (group BO-6), and 0.18 mL/dose (BO-18 group); extra virgin olive oil (OI) 0.02 mL/dose (group OI-2), 0.06 mL/dose (group OI-6), and 0.18 mL/dose (OI-18 group); and mineral oil (MO) 0.18 mL/dose (MO-18 group). The observations were made on the 15th day on the hamsters' cheek pouch; the increase of vascular permeability induced by I/R with and without histamine application was evaluated, and in the liver the biological material was collected aseptically then fixed in 10% buffered formalin. RESULTS: Microcirculatory analyses showed a significant reduction in the number of leaks after I/R with and without the topical use of histamine in animals treated with unrefined BO 0.06 mL/dose (BO-6) and 0.18 mL/dose (BO-18) compared to animals treated with OI. The BO group (p < 0.001) presented a dose-response relationship for decreasing leaks after I/R with and without topical use of histamine. Histological liver analyses showed no fat deposition changes in any of the treatment groups. Phytochemical analyses evidenced a chemical compound (C(31)H(60)NO(8)) in unrefined BO but not in OI. CONCLUSIONS: This experiment demonstrates the protective effect of unrefined BO on the microcirculatory system and its greater dose effect than that of OI. Finding a chemical compound (C(31)H(60)NO(8)) that is present in BO but not in OI opens the possibility of investigating whether this chemical compound was responsible for the protective effect on membrane permeability.