Adipose‑derived stem cells (ADSCs) and bone marrow‑derived stem cells (BMSCs) are considered to be prospective sources of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), that can be used in cell therapy for atherosclerosis. The present study investigated whether ADSCs co‑cultured with M1 foam macrophages via treatment with oxidized low‑density lipoprotein (ox‑LDL) would lead to similar or improved anti‑inflammatory effects compared with BMSCs. ADSCs, peripheral blood monocytes, BMSCs and ox‑LDL were isolated from ten coronary heart disease (CHD) patients. After three passages, the supernatants of the ADSCs and BMSCs were collected and systematically analysed by liquid chromatography‑quadrupole time‑of‑flight‑mass spectrometry (6530; Agilent Technologies, Inc., Santa Clara, CA, USA). Cis‑9, trans‑11 was deemed to be responsible for the potential differences in the metabolic characteristics of ADSCs and BMSCs. These peripheral blood monocytes were characterized using flow cytometry. Following peripheral blood monocytes differentiation into M1 macrophages, the formation of M1 foam macrophages was achieved through treatment with ox‑LDL. Overall, 2x106 ADSCs, BMSCs or BMSCs+cis‑9, trans‑11 were co‑cultured with M1 foam macrophages. Anti‑inflammatory capability, phagocytic activity, anti‑apoptotic capability and cell viability assays were compared among these groups. It was demonstrated that the accumulation of lipid droplets decreased following ADSCs, BMSCs or BMSCs+cis‑9, trans‑11 treatment in M1 macrophages derived from foam cells. Consistently, ADSCs exhibited great advantageous anti‑inflammatory capabilities, phagocytic activity, anti‑apoptotic capability activity and cell viability over BMSCs or BMSCs+cis‑9, trans‑11. Additionally, BMSCs+cis‑9, trans‑11 also demonstrated marked improvement in anti‑inflammatory capability, phagocytic activity, anti‑apoptotic capability activity and cell viability in comparison with BMSCs. The present results indicated that ADSCs would be more appropriate for transplantation to treat atherosclerosis than BMSCs alone or BMSCs+cis‑9, trans‑11. This may be an important mechanism to regulate macrophage immune function.