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Extra-virgin olive oil ingredient rapidly induces cancer cell death
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Oleocanthal, an ingredient found in extra-virgin olive oil, induces cancer cell death without harming noncancerous cells, according to study results.
“Compounds that induce lysosomal membrane destabilization, such as oleocanthal, represent a viable method to exploit the vulnerability of enlarged lysosomes in cancer cells,” Onica LeGendre, postdoctoral fellow in the department of biological sciences at Hunter College of the City University of New York, and colleagues wrote.
Although previous research has shown the effect that oleocanthal has on inducing cancer cell death, it was not known how this occurred.
LeGendre and colleagues hypothesized that oleocanthal may target a key protein in cancer cells that trigger programmed cell death. The researchers sought to assess the impact of oleocanthal on the viability and survival of cancerous and noncancerous BxPC3 (pancreatic), PC3 (prostate) and MDA-MB-231 (breast) cells derived from the American Type Tissue Culture Collection.
According to study results, within 30 minutes of having applied the ingredient to the cells, oleocanthal rapidly induced a loss of cancer cell adhesion. In addition, the ingredient induced a loss of 100% of nonviable cells within all cancer lines within 24 hours of treatment, according to the researchers.
Further, additional findings suggest that oleocanthal rapidly induced robust cancer cell death dependent upon the absence or presence of serum in cancer cells.
Importantly, oleocanthal did not harm healthy cells. The life cycles of healthy cells were temporarily stopped and after 24 hours resumed their cycles, the researchers wrote.
“This study suggests that the chemopreventive activity of extra-virgin olive oil is due to the ability of its bioactive phenolic components, especially oleocanthal, to induce cell death upon entering the lysosome and inhibiting acid sphingomyelinase activity, which induces lysosomal membrane permeabilization,” the researchers wrote.
The researchers suggested additional research is necessary to assess the effect of oleocanthal on cancer cells and tumors in living animals. In addition, more data are needed to understand why cancer cells are sensitive to the ingredient, whereas noncancerous cells are not, they said.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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