Potential aptitude of four olive cultivars as anticancer and antioxidant agents: oleuropein content

Abstract Olea europaea L. (olive, Oleaceae) constitutes a source of many bioactive compounds, which have recognized benefits for both human health and technological purposes. The present article was carried out to evaluate the biological activity of oleuropein (an ester of 2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl) ethanol (hydroxytyrosol) which has the oleosidic skeleton that is common to the secoiridoid glucosides of Oleaceae). It occurred in leaf extracts of the four olive cultivars (Chemlali, Manzanilla, Picaul and Toffahi) as a source for some anticancer and antioxidant agents and their consequences on the action of Hordeum vulgare (barley). The total phenolic and flavonoid compounds were extracted from olive leaves by ethanol 95% then analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The study evaluates the anticancer activity of the ethanolic extract of olive leaves against breast and hepatocellular carcinoma cells showing high values. Also, the extract exhibited highly consequence on the antioxidant potentiality of barley which was assessed using the diphenyl picryl hydrazyl method (DDPH). These results pave the way for utilization of olive leaves as a source of natural anticancer and antioxidant agents.