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Antitumor Effects of Chemlali and Wild Olive Tree Extracts: Role in Cell Proliferation and Apoptosis in Prostate
Radhia Bouazizi1,2, Lamjed Bouslama3, Fatma Nouira3
1Laboratory of Biotechnology of Olive, Centre of Biotechnology of Borj Cedria, Hammam-Lif, Tunisia.
Abstract:
Cancer remains a major global health challenge, requiring natural therapeutic solutions. Olive tree by-products, like leaves and pomace, are rich in bioactive phenolics with antioxidant and anticancer potential. This study explores the chemical composition and anticancer potential of the hexane fraction of olive leaf extracts and the dichloromethane fraction of olive pomace extracts from two Olea europaea varieties: e cultivated Chemlali (var. europaea) and the wild olive (var. sylvestris). GC-MS analysis identified stigmast-5-en-3-ol, erythrodiol, and phytol as the predominant compounds in wild olive leaf extracts, whereas Chemlali leaf extracts contained only the first two. Analysis of olive pomace extracts revealed four major compounds: coniferyl alcohol, glyceryl monooleate, stigmast-5-en-3-ol, and methylursolate, present in both varieties, with significant variations in their peak areas. Cytotoxic evaluation showed that olive waste extracts significantly inhibited cancer cell growth and viability in both prostate (PC3) and breast (MDA-MB-231) cancer cell lines. Specifically, pomace extracts exhibited the strongest effect against PC3 prostate cancer cells, while leaf extracts were more effective against MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. These extracts inhibited cell proliferation, induced morphological and phenotypic alterations, modified the cell cycle progression, promoted apoptotic nuclear changes, and triggered apoptosis. Notably, wild olive extracts demonstrated stronger cytotoxic effects than those derived from the Chemlali cultivar. These findings highlight olive by-products as promising sources of natural anticancer agents for pharmaceutical applications.
Insights
Olive by-products, like leaves and pomace, contain bioactive compounds with anticancer potential. Wild olive extracts showed stronger cytotoxic effects against prostate and breast cancer cells than cultivated varieties, highlighting their pharmaceutical promise.
Area of Science:
- Natural Products Chemistry
- Pharmacology
- Oncology
Background:
- Cancer presents a significant global health burden, necessitating the exploration of natural therapeutic agents.
- Olive tree by-products, including leaves and pomace, are abundant sources of bioactive phenolics with demonstrated antioxidant and anticancer properties.
- Investigating these by-products offers a sustainable approach to discovering novel anticancer compounds.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the chemical composition of hexane leaf and dichloromethane pomace extracts from two Olea europaea varieties (cultivated Chemlali and wild olive).
- To evaluate the in vitro anticancer potential of these olive by-product extracts against prostate (PC3) and breast (MDA-MB-231) cancer cell lines.
- To compare the cytotoxic efficacy between wild olive and Chemlali cultivar extracts.
Main Methods:
- Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) was employed to identify the predominant chemical constituents in the extracts.
- Cytotoxicity assays were performed to assess the impact of extracts on cancer cell viability and proliferation.
- Cell cycle analysis, morphological studies, and apoptosis assays were conducted to elucidate the mechanisms of action.
Main Results:
- GC-MS identified key compounds such as stigmast-5-en-3-ol, erythrodiol, phytol, coniferyl alcohol, glyceryl monooleate, and methylursolate in the extracts.
- Both leaf and pomace extracts significantly inhibited the growth and viability of PC3 and MDA-MB-231 cancer cells.
- Pomace extracts were more potent against PC3 cells, while leaf extracts were more effective against MDA-MB-231 cells. Wild olive extracts generally exhibited stronger cytotoxic effects.
- Extracts induced cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, and characteristic morphological changes in cancer cells.
Conclusions:
- Olive tree by-products are rich sources of bioactive compounds with significant anticancer properties.
- The extracts demonstrate potential as natural therapeutic agents for prostate and breast cancers.
- Wild olive by-products may offer superior cytotoxic activity compared to cultivated varieties, warranting further investigation for pharmaceutical applications.
