Bioactive properties of the main triterpenes found in olives, virgin olive oil, and leaves of Olea europaea.

Oleanolic acid, maslinic acid, uvaol, and erythrodiol are the main triterpenes present in olives, olive tree leaves, and virgin olive oil. Their concentration in virgin olive oil depends on the quality of the olive oil and the variety of the olive tree. These triterpenes are described to present different properties, such as antitumoral activity, cardioprotective activity, anti-inflammatory activity, and antioxidant protection.

Simultaneous phenotypic and genetic characterization of single circulating tumor cells from colon cancer patients.

Since circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have metastatic potential, their genetic and phenotypic characteristics could provide crucial information to establish the most effective therapy. We assessed the clinical utility of a methodology that allows the simultaneous analysis of CTC phenotype and genotype in colon cancer patients and, in addition, whether this methodology could provide complementary information to that obtained by the primary tumor biopsy. Thirty-three non-metastatic (stages 0-III) colon cancer patients and 9 healthy donor samples were evaluated.

Hydroxytyrosol protects against oxidative DNA damage in human breast cells.

Over recent years, several studies have related olive oil ingestion to a low incidence of several diseases, including breast cancer. Hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol are two of the major phenols present in virgin olive oils. Despite the fact that they have been linked to cancer prevention, there is no evidence that clarifies their effect in human breast tumor and non-tumor cells.

Antioxidant, antiproliferative, and pro-apoptotic capacities of pentacyclic triterpenes found in the skin of olives on MCF-7 human breast cancer cells and their effects on DNA damage.

This research aimed to investigate erythrodiol, uvaol, oleanolic acid, and maslinic acid scavenging capacities and their effects on cytotoxicity, cell proliferation, cell cycle, apoptosis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, and oxidative DNA damage on human MCF-7 breast cancer cell line. The results showed that erythrodiol, uvaol, and oleanolic acid have a significant cytotoxic effect and inhibit proliferation in a dose- and time-dependent manner. At 100 μM, erythrodiol growth inhibition occurred through apoptosis, with the observation of important ROS production and DNA damage, whereas uvaol and oleanolic acid growth inhibition involved cell cycle arrest.

Squalene protects against oxidative DNA damage in MCF10A human mammary epithelial cells but not in MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells.

Until now, very little has been known about the antioxidant capacity of squalene and its effect on human breast tumourigenesis. In the present work, we investigated squalene's scavenging properties and its effect on cell proliferation, cell cycle profile, apoptosis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) level and oxidative DNA damage, using human breast cell lines. Our results showed that squalene neither possesses scavenging activity nor significantly alters cell proliferation rates, the cell cycle profile or cell apoptosis in human mammary epithelial cells (MCF10A), minimally invasive (MDA-MB-231) breast cancer cells, and highly invasive (MCF7) breast cancer cells.

Phenotypic and genetic characterization of circulating tumor cells by combining immunomagnetic selection and FICTION techniques.

The presence of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in breast cancer patients has been proven to have clinical relevance. Cytogenetic characterization of these cells could have crucial relevance for targeted cancer therapies. We developed a method that combines an immunomagnetic selection of CTCs from peripheral blood with the fluorescence immunophenotyping and interphase cytogenetics as a tool for investigation of neoplasm (FICTION) technique.