Comparison of the effect of olive oil and its derivatives with atorvastatin in mitigating physiological and histological disorders due to hyperlipidemia in male rats

Introduction: Hyperlipidemia destroys liver tissue, increasing liver enzymes. Increases liver extract ferritin, kidney and liver iron, while decreasing Hepcidin hormonal levels. Olive oil, hydroxytyrosol, and Atorvastatin were compared on liver enzymes, HMG-reductase activity, ferritin, hepcidin hormone, and iron deposition in liver and kidney tissues in experimental hyperlipidemic albino male rats.   Methodology: The experiment involved 50 albino rats grouped into two (control and test) of 25 rats each, then divided into 5 groups of 5 rats each. Animals in the first control group (blank) were fed the standard diet and gavaged distilled water for eight weeks, whereas the second to fifth groups of the first subgroup were fed the same standard diet for eight weeks followed by oral gavage with olive oil, hydroxytyrosol, olive oil + hydroxytyrosol, and atorvastatin, respectively, from the third week. Animals in the first test group were fed a diet containing 2% cholesterol for the duration of the experiment, whereas rats in the seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth test groups were fed a high-cholesterol diet 2% for two weeks, followed by oral gavage with olive oil extract for the seventh group, hydroxytyrosol for the eighth group, olive oil extract + hydroxytyrosol for the ninth group, and a drug Atorvastatin for the tenth.   Results: Hyperlipidemia significantly increased the concentrations of liver enzyme in serum, ferritin and iron deposition in liver and kidney tissues, while decreasing the HMG-reductase activity and hepcidin hormonal levels in liver extract was seen in hyperlipidemia group in comparison to healthy controls. While the groups of treated animals showed a significant enhancement in each of the aforementioned factors, as olive oil extract + hydroxytyrosol outperformed all treatments.   Conclusion: Hypercholesterolemia increases liver enzymes, ferritin, and iron deposition while lowering hepcidin hormone and HMG-reductase activity. Hypercholesterolemia was mitigated by olive oil extract and hydroxytyrosol.