Low cytotoxicity of linoleic acid-derived epoxy-fatty acids in liver and colon cell lines.

Linoleic acid-derived epoxy-fatty acids (EpOMEs) are found in oxidized plant oils and processed foods. Consumption of oxidized oils may lead to a variety of negative health effects. Due to the assumed chemical reactivity of the epoxy-group, toxicity of epoxy-fatty acids, such as 9(10)-EpOME and 12(13)-EpOME, is frequently discussed. Therefore, we investigated the effect of 9(10)-EpOME and 12(13)-EpOME on cell viability by evaluating cell proliferation, LDH leakage, lysosomal integrity and dehydrogenase activity in HepG2 and Caco2 cells. Both tested epoxy-fatty acids show no or low cytotoxicity only above 50 μM in both cell lines, with 12(13)-EpOME being slightly more cytotoxic. This concentration is well above endogenous levels of EpOMEs in circulation.