Figure 2.

Molecular mechanism of functional foods that enhance HDL functionality adapted from [65,66]. Virgin olive oil, quercetin, and resveratrol participate and contribute to the improvement of cholesterol efflux from macrophages by increasing the expression of ABCG1 and ABCA1 transporters, while curcumin only influences the ABCA1 transporter. All of these mechanisms would prevent the accumulation of cholesterol within macrophages in the arterial wall, and its subsequent relationship with the progression of atherosclerosis. Quercetin is related to the increase in PON1 protein and its expression, improving the anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-atherogenic activity of HDL. Abbreviations: ABCG-1, ATP-binding cassette sub-family G member 1; ABCA-1, ATP binding cassette subfamily A member 1; PON1, paraoxonase 1; CETP, cholesteryl ester transfer protein; LCAT, lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase; HDL, high-density lipoprotein; LDL, low-density lipoprotein; VLDL, very-low-density lipoprotein; IDL, intermediate-density lipoprotein.