Camellia oil (Camellia oleifera Abel.) treatment improves high-fat diet-induced atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E (ApoE)(−/−) mice

Atherosclerosis is the main cause of cardiovascular diseases, and healthy dietary habits are a feasible strategy to prevent atherosclerosis development. Camellia oil, an edible plant oil, exhibits multiple beneficial cardiovascular effects. Our previous study showed that oral administration of camellia oil attenuated hyperglycemia, fat deposits in the liver, and the atherosclerosis index in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice. Here, an atherosclerosis model of apolipoprotein E (ApoE)(−/−) mice induced by HFD was used to study the effect of camellia oil on atherosclerosis, and 16S rRNA gene sequencing was used to analyze the changes in gut microbiota composition. The results showed that camellia oil significantly inhibited the formation of atherosclerotic plaques in ApoE(−/−) mice, which were characterized by significantly reduced levels of serum total cholesterol and enhanced levels of serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. The aortic levels of interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor were decreased. The results of the 16S rRNA analysis showed that after camellia oil interventions, the intestinal flora of ApoE(−/−) mice changed significantly, with the diversity of intestinal flora especially increasing, the relative abundances of Bacteroides, Faecalibaculum, Bilophila, and Leuconostoc increasing, and the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio and Firmicutes abundance decreasing. Collectively, our findings confirmed the promising value of camellia oil in preventing the development of atherosclerosis in ApoE(−/−) mice. Mechanistically, this preventive effect of camellia oil was probably due to its lipid-lowering activity, anti-inflammatory effects, and alteration of the gut microbiota composition in the mice.