Proliferative and apoptotic effects of olive extracts on cell lines and healthy human cells

As a major component of the Mediterranean diet, olive and olive products have protective effects against several human diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases and cancer, via their antioxidant activity. Olive’s beneficial effect is attributed to its phenolic content and fatty acid profile. In this study, effects of different types of olive extracts on cancer cell lines were evaluated. Proliferative, cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of olive extracts were investigated and gene expression profiles of cancer cells treated with olive extracts were analysed in AGS, Caco-2 cell lines and bone marrow human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). Since topo IIα is essential for chromosome segregation in mitotic cells, the expression level of topo IIα can be used as a marker of cell proliferation. Expression level of topo IIα was checked by using RT-PCR. In vitro results revealed that AGS cell lines were more sensitive to treatment of olive extracts than were colon carcinoma models, Caco-2, and healthy human cells.