Virgin olive oil (VOO) has many potential health benefits, including the amelioration of inflammatory processes. In part, this is known to occur through the modification of the endothelial function, leading to a decrease of the levels of cell-adhesion molecules (CAMs), including the inter-cellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) and the vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1). Importantly, virgin olive oil is able to inhibit the tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), that is a key cytokine in controlling distinct types of cell functions and a particular therapeutic target for inflammatory diseases. Moreover, in vitro and in vivo assays with virgin olive oil or its main components clearly indicate a marked modulation of signaling pathways regulating the activation of pro-inflammatory mediators, including the nuclear transcriptional factor NF-κβ, the cytokines interleukin-1 (IL-1), and interleukin-6 (IL-6), and the enzymes cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). So far, the cellular and molecular anti-inflammatory mechanisms of virgin olive oil have been particular associated with its high amounts of phenolic compounds, as well as to its composition in mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Still, the available data is disperse and needs consolidation, in order to allow solid conclusions on this issue. The present chapter summarizes the epidemiological data and intervention trials focusing the effects of virgin olive oil in inflammatory processes and/or inflammatory related-diseases, as well as the main virgin olive oil constituents associated to the protection process and their underlying mechanisms of action.
