A compound extracted from olives shows promising results for treating obesity and diabetes

A new study has found that linoleic acid, a natural compound found in olives, can lower blood sugar levels and promote weight loss.

The results of this study conducted on mice could pave the way for the development of safe and inexpensive natural products for the management of obesity and type 2 diabetes in humans.

The researchers revealed that after just one week, obese diabetic mice given oral elenoleic acid weighed significantly less and showed better blood sugar (glucose) regulation than before treatment compared to obese mice not receiving elenoleic acid. The glucose-lowering effect was similar to that of the injectable antidiabetic drug liraglutide and better than metformin, one of the most common oral medications for type 2 diabetes.

“Lifestyle modifications and public health measures have had a limited impact on the rising prevalence of obesity, one of the most important risk factors for type 2 diabetes,” said lead author Dongmin Liu, a professor in the Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Exercise at Virginia Tech. the second".

“Available obesity medications are ineffective at maintaining weight, are expensive, and/or carry potential long-term safety risks,” he added. “Our goal was to develop safer, cheaper, and more convenient multi-targeted agents that could prevent metabolic disorders and type 2 diabetes.”

Liu's team focuses on discovering bioactive compounds from natural products for diabetes management. Previously, they were looking for specific molecular targets for natural compounds in parts of the body that effectively help regulate metabolism, such as the pancreas, muscle, adipose tissue and liver. However, since natural products typically have poor bioavailability, they decided to see if they could instead target the secretion of metabolic hormones in the intestine to indirectly regulate metabolic function.

In the new study, the researchers set out to identify natural compounds that act on enteroendocrine cells (L-cells in the digestive tract and pancreas that produce gastrointestinal hormones or peptides in response to various stimuli and release them into the bloodstream), which contain two metabolic hormones that are released during a meal.

These hormones, called GLP-1 and PYY, work together to promote satiety and prevent overeating while also controlling blood sugar levels and metabolism.

The investigation revealed that linoleic acid, found in ripe olives and extra virgin olive oil, can stimulate the release of these hormones in the gut. They were able to make linoleic acid by breaking down its precursor oleuropein, which is less expensive than extracting it directly from olives.

Tests of the compound on obese diabetic mice found that mice that received linoleic acid orally saw significant improvements in their metabolic health.

After four to five weeks of treatment, the mice showed a 10.7% reduction in obesity as well as blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity that were similar to those of healthy, lean mice.

Elanoleic acid also significantly reduced food intake and promoted weight loss, which was associated with improved circulating levels of PYY and GLP-1 and downregulation of agouti-related peptide in the hypothalamus.

Agouti-related peptide is a neuropeptide that, when overexpressed, increases appetite and reduces metabolism and energy expenditure.

Liu said: “In general, the study showed that linoleic acid found in olives has promising effects on hormone release and metabolic health, especially in cases of obesity and diabetes. The compound appears to mimic the physiological conditions of food intake to directly enhance the secretion of metabolic hormone in the intestine, which helps Regulating energy balance and metabolic health.

According to the researchers, the concentration of linoleic acid in olive oil or olives is very low, so the benefits shown in this study would likely not be obtained from olive products alone.

The research team is now working to understand how this compound creates its metabolic benefits by analyzing its journey through the body to see how it is absorbed, distributed, metabolized and excreted.