A plethora of minor constituents in olive oil have been identified as effective agents in mitigating the initiation, promotion and progression of multistage carcinogenesis.

Hamdi and Castellon showed that Oleuropein inhibits growth of LN-18 cells, a poorly differentiated glioblastoma cell line; TF-1a, a erythroleukemia; and tumor cell lines derived from advanced-grade human tumors (786-O, renal cell adenocarcinoma; T-47D, infiltrating ductal carcinoma of the breast pleural effusion; RPMI-7951, malignant melanoma of the skin-lymph node metastasis; and LoVo, colorectal adenocarcinoma cells) in Swiss albino mice with soft tissue sarcoma [1].

Menendez et al. [2] showed that Oleuropein aglycone is the most potent phenolic compound in decreasing breast cancer cell viability. HER2 oncogene-amplified SKBR3 cells were ~5-times more sensitive to Oleuropein aglycone than HER2-negative MCF-7 cells.

Subsequently, Menendez et al. [3] showed that the secoiridoids deacetoxy Oleuropein aglycone, ligstroside aglycone, and Oleuropein aglycone, induce strong tumoricidal effects within a micromolar range by selectively triggering high levels of apoptotic cell death in HER2-overexpressing breast carcinomas. These compounds markedly depleted HER2 protein and reduced HER2 tyrosine autophosphorylation in a dose- and time-dependent manner [3].

Recently, Han et al. [4] reported that 200 lg/mL of Oleuropein remarkably reduces the viability of MCF-7 cells and decreases the number of MCF-7 cells by inhibiting the rate of cell proliferation and inducing cell apoptosis. Additionally, Oleuropein exhibited a statistically significant block of G1 to S phase transition, which was manifested by the increase in the number of cells in the G0/G1 phase [4]. Goulas et al. [5] demonstrated the antiproliferative activity of crude extracts and phytochemicals (the dominant compound of the extracts is Oleuropein) against cell lines at low micromolar concentrations. These extracts inhibit cell proliferation of human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7), human urinary bladder carcinoma (T-24) and bovine brain capillary endothelial (BBCE).

• Anticancer Effects of Oleuropein
• Oleuropein Inhibits Esophageal Cancer Through Hypoxic Suppression of BTG3 mRNA
• The Olive Biophenols Oleuropein and Hydroxytyrosol Selectively Reduce Proliferation, Influence the Cell Cycle, and Induce Apoptosis in Pancreatic Cancer Cells
• Oleuropein Induces Apoptosis via Abrogating NF-κB Activation Cascade in Estrogen Receptor-Negative Breast Cancer Cells
• Simultaneous Downregulation of miR-21 and miR-155 Through Oleuropein for Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy
• Oleuropein, the Main Polyphenol of Olea europaea Leaf Extract, Has an Anti-Cancer Effect on Human BRAF Melanoma Cells and Potentiates the Cytotoxicity of Current Chemotherapies
• Synthesis of Nano-Paramagnetic Oleuropein to Induce KRAS Over-Expression: A New Mechanism to Inhibit AGS Cancer Cells
• Oleuropein Modulates Glioblastoma miRNA Pattern Different From Olea europaea Leaf Extract
• New Semi-Synthetic Analogs of Oleuropein Show Improved Anticancer Activity in Vitro and in Vivo
• Effects of the Olive-Derived Polyphenol Oleuropein on Human Health
• Investigation of Anticancer Mechanism of Oleuropein via Cell Cycle and Apoptotic Pathways in SH-SY5Y Neuroblastoma Cells
• Assessment of the Anti-Inflammatory, Analgesic and Sedative Effects of Oleuropein From Olea Europaea
• Oleuropein Induces Apoptosis via the p53 Pathway in Breast Cancer Cells
• Synergistic Anti-Breast-Cancer Effects of Combined Treatment With Oleuropein and Doxorubicin In Vivo
• Anticancer Effects of Olive Oil Polyphenols and Their Combinations With Anticancer Drugs
• [1] Hamdi HK, Castellon R. Oleuropein, a non-toxic olive iridoid, is an anti-tumor agent and cytoskeleton disruptor. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2005; 334: 769–778. doi:10.1016/j.bbrc.2005.06.161
• [2] Menendez JA, Vazquez-Martin A, Colomer R, Brunet J, Carrasco-Pancorbo A, Garcia-Villalba R, Fernandez-Gutierrez A, Segura-Carretero A. Olive oil's bitter principle reverses acquired autoresistance to trastuzumab (Herceptin™) in HER2- overexpressing breast cancer cells. BMC Cancer. 2007; 7: 80. doi:10.1186/1471-2407-7-80
• [3] Menendez JA, Vazquez-Martin A, Garcia-Villalba R, Carrasco-Pancorbo A, Oliveras-Ferraros C, Fernandez-Gutierrez A, Segura-Carretero A. tabAnti-HER2 (erbB-2) oncogene effects of phenolic compounds directly isolated from commercial Extra-Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO). BMC Cancer. 2008; 8: 377. doi:10.1186/1471-2407-8-377
• [4] Han J, Talorete TP, Yamada P, Isoda H. Anti-proliferative and apoptotic effects of oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol on human breast cancer MCF- 7 cells. Cytotechnology. 2009; 59: 45–53. doi:10.1007/s10616-009-9191-2
• [5] Goulas V, Exarchou V, Troganis AN, Psomiadou E, Fotsis T, Briasoulis E, Gerothanassis IP. Phytochemicals in olive-leaf extracts and their antiproliferative activity against cancer and endothelial cells. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2009; 53: 600–608. doi:10.1002/mnfr.200800204
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• Oleuropein Induces Anti-Metastatic Effects in Breast Cancer
• Antitumor Perspectives of Oleuropein