A New HPLC-MS Method for Measuring Maslinic Acid and Oleanolic Acid in HT29 and HepG2 Human Cancer Cells.

Maslinic acid (MA) and oleanolic acid (OA), the main triterpenic acids present in olive, have important properties for health and disease prevention. MA selectively inhibits cell proliferation of the HT29 human colon-cancer cell line by inducing selective apoptosis. For measuring the MA and OA concentration inside the cell and in the culture medium, a new HPLC-MS procedure has been developed.