Anti-apoptotic activity of hydroxytyrosol and hydroxytyrosyl laurate

Hydroxytyrosol (HyT) is a polyphenol primarily released in olive mill wastewater and in olive oil. In animal and cell model studies, HyT and its metabolites have strong antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, as well as beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system and in several human diseases. Differently, many researchers reported that HyT down-regulates tumor cell viability and cell cycle progression, and induces reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and apoptosis. In this study we have investigated the effects of HyT and the corresponding ester hydroxytyrosyl laurate in U937 cells, a human monocytoid cell line, and in C2C12 myoblasts, a murine proliferating muscle cell model, after apoptotic death induction. Inverted, light and transmission electron microscopy have been utilized to characterize cell death patterns. H2O2, at the concentrations known to induce apoptosis, was utilized as cell death trigger. The results obtained show that laur-HyT has a protective antioxidant effect against H2O2 treatment, greater than HyT, so having a role in the prevention of apoptotic death in normal and tumor cells. These data suggest these compounds as good candidate for novel therapeutic strategies.