Red meat is an integral part of the Western diet, and high consumption is associated with an increased risk of chronic diseases. Using a system that simulated the human stomach, red meat was interacted with different oils (olive/fish) and lipid peroxidation was determined by measuring accumulation of malondialdehyde (MDA) and lipid peroxides (LOOH). Olive oil decreased meat lipid peroxidation from 121.7 ± 3.1 to 48.2 ± 1.3 μM and from 327.1 ± 9.5 to 77.3 ± 6.0 μM as assessed by MDA and ROOH, respectively. The inhibitory effect of olive oil was attributed to oleic acid rather than its polyphenol content. In contrast, fish oils from tuna or an ω-3 supplement dramatically increased meat lipid peroxidation from 96.2 ± 3.6 to 514.2 ± 6.7 μM MDA. Vitamin E inhibited meat lipid peroxidation in the presence of olive oil but paradoxically increased peroxidation in the presence of fish oil. The inhibitory properties of oleic acid may play a key role in the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet.
Keywords: antioxidants; fish oil; lipid peroxidation; olive oil; stomach medium.