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Table of Contents

A Layman’s Review of the Scientific Literature on Olive Leaf
By R. Hallowitz © 2005
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Abstracts of Professional Journal Literature on Olive Leaf

Please click on the following section titles for the abstracts

Anti Microbial (bacteria/fungi)

Effective against a wide variety of microbial pathogens, including E. coli, skin fungus, Candida albicans, many respiratory and intestinal bacteria

In vitro antimicrobial activity of olive leaves. Mycoses. 2003 Apr;46(3-4):132- 6.
On the in-vitro antimicrobial activity of oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol. J Pharm Pharmacol. 1999 Aug;51(8):971-4.
Antimycoplasmal activity of hydroxytyrosol. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2004 Dec;48(12):4892-4.

Antiviral

Effective against HIV-1

Anti-HIV activity of olive leaf extract (OLE) and modulation of host cell gene expression by HIV-1 infection and OLE treatment. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2003 Aug 8;307(4):1029-37.
Viral replication under combination antiretroviral therapy: a comparison of four different regimens. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2002 Jun 1;30(2):167-76.
A new triple combination therapy. Konlee M.
Hybrid protocols. [No authors listed]
Hybrid protocols plus natural treatments for inflammatory conditions. [No authors listed]
Reservoirs of HIV replication after successful combined antiretroviral treatment. Curr Med Chem. 2003 Feb;10(4):303-12.
Is resistance futile? Curr Drug Targets Infect Disord. 2003 Dec;3(4):295-309.
Calanolide A: a natural non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor. BETA. 1999 Apr;12(2):8-9.
A new form of antiviral combination therapy predicted to prevent resistance from arising, and a model system to test it. Curr Med Chem. 2001 Jul;8(8):933-9.
Hydroxyurea, a potential new anti-HIV agent. GMHC Treat Issues. 1995 Jan;9(1):7-9.

Oxidative Damage Preventive

Antioxidant

Antioxidants modulate the nitric oxide system and SOD activity and expression in rat epithelial lung cells. 1: Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2004;13(Suppl):S101.
Olive oil hydroxytyrosol protects human erythrocytes against oxidative damages. J Nutr Biochem. 1999 Mar;10(3):159-65.
Antioxidant effect of hydroxytyrosol, a polyphenol from olive oil: scavenging of hydrogen peroxide but not superoxide anion produced by human neutrophils. Biochem Pharmacol. 2004 Nov 15;68(10):2003-8.
Production of highly purified hydroxytyrosol from Olea europaea leaf extract biotransformed by hyperthermophilic beta-glycosidase. J Biotechnol. 2004 Jul 1;111(1):67-77.
Olea europaea L. leaf extract and derivatives: antioxidant properties. J Agric Food Chem. 2002 Aug 14;50(17):4934-40.

Free radical scavenger (also antiinflammatory/antiatherogenic)

Antihypertensive, antiatherosclerotic and antioxidant activity of triterpenoids isolated from Olea europaea, subspecies africana leaves. J Ethnopharmacol. 2003 Feb;84(2-3):299-305
Radical Scavenging Potential of Phenolic Compounds Encountered in O. europaea Products as Indicated by Calculation of Bond Dissociation Enthalpy and Ionization Potential Values. J Agric Food Chem. 2005 Jan 26;53(2):295-299.
Bioactive derivatives from oleuropein by a biotransformation on Olea europaea leaf extracts. J Biotechnol. 2002 Feb 14;93(2):109-19.

Cancer Tumor Suppressive / Cancer Preventive
Antimicrobial/antiviral --- see detail above
Antiinflammatory --- see above

Prevents oxidative damage to DNA

Olives and olive oil in cancer prevention. Eur J Cancer Prev. 2004 Aug;13(4):319-26
Olive oil phenolics: effects on DNA oxidation and redox enzyme mRNA in prostate cells. Br J Nutr. 2002 Sep;88(3):225-34; discussion 223-4
Inhibition of peroxynitrite dependent DNA base modification and tyrosine nitration by the extra virgin olive oil-derived antioxidant hydroxytyrosol. Dipartimento di Biologia Sperimentale, Universita degli Studi di Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria, Italy.

Heart Disease Preventive
Antimicrobial/antiviral --- see detail above
Antiinflammatory --- see above

Inhibits lipid peroxidation

Antihypertensive, antiatherosclerotic and antioxidant activity of triterpenoids isolated from Olea europaea, subspecies africana leaves. J Ethnopharmacol. 2003 Feb;84(2-3):299-305

Inhibits Platelet Adhesion

Olive oil isochromans inhibit human platelet reactivity. J Nutr. 2003 Aug;133(8):2532-6
Inhibition of platelet aggregation and eicosanoid production by phenolic components of olive oil. Thromb Res. 1995 Apr 15;78(2):151-60.

Inhibits Inflammatory Component of Plaque Formation

Olive oil and red wine antioxidant polyphenols inhibit endothelial activation: antiatherogenic properties of Meditersranean diet phytochemicals. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2003 Apr 1;23(4):622-9. Epub 2003 Feb 20.
Supplementation of plasma with olive oil phenols and extracts: influence on LDL oxidation. J Agric Food Chem. 2002 Feb 27;50(5):1290-7
Bioactive compounds in foods: their role in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Graduate Program in Nutrition, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA.

Cardiotonic (enhances the force of heart contractions) / Antiarrhythmic

Cardiotonic and antidysrhythmic effects of oleanolic and ursolic acids, methyl maslinate and uvaol. Phytomedicine. 2004 Feb;11(2-3):121-9

Antihypertensive click here

Blood pressure lowering effect of an olive leaf extract ( Olea europaea) in L- NAME induced hypertension in rats. 1: Arzneimittelforschung. 2002;52(11):797- 802.
[Hypotension, hypoglycemia and hypouricemia recorded after repeated administration of aqueous leaf extract of Olea europaea L.] 1: J Pharm Belg. 1994 Mar-Apr;49(2):101-8.
Antihypertensive, antiatherosclerotic and antioxidant activity of triterpenoids isolated from Olea europaea, subspecies africana leaves. J Ethnopharmacol. 2003 Feb;84(2-3):299-305

Diabetes Type-2 Preventive click here

[Hypotension, hypoglycemia and hypouricemia recorded after repeated administration of aqueous leaf extract of Olea europaea L.] J Pharm Belg. 1994 Mar-Apr;49(2):101-8

Radiation Protection click here

Radioprotective effects in vivo of phenolics extracted from Olea europaea L. leaves against X-ray-induced chromosomal damage: comparative study versus several flavonoids and sulfur-containing compounds. J Med Food. 2002 Fall;5(3):125-35.

Thyroid Stimulant click here

Effect of freeze dried extract of Olea europaea on the pituitary-thyroid axis in rats. Phytother Res. 2002 May;16(3):286-7

Contrasting Opinion On Absorption and Bioavailability of Olive Leaf click here

Hydroxytyrosol disposition in humans. Clin Chem. 2003 Jun;49(6 Pt 1):945-52

Rebuttals to Contrasting Opinion on Olive Leaf click here

Determination of hydroxytyrosol in plasma by HPLC. Ruiz-Gutierrez V, Juan ME, Cert A, Planas JM.
Antioxidant effect of hydroxytyrosol (DPE) and Mn2+ in liver of cadmium- intoxicated rats. Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol. 2002 Dec;133(4):625-32.
Major phenolic compounds in olive oil: metabolism and health effects. J Nutr Biochem. 2002 Nov;13(11):636-644.
Urinary excretion of olive oil phenols and their metabolites in humans. Metabolism. 2001 Dec;50(12):1426-8
Olive oil phenols are absorbed in humans. J Nutr. 2002 Mar;132(3):409-17

Impact of Extraction Procedures on Concentration of Constituents For Olive Leaf click here

Countercurrent supercritical fluid extraction and fractionation of high-added- value compounds from a hexane extract of olive leaves. J Agric Food Chem. 2004 Jul 28;52(15):4774-9.
Isolation and characterization of the antioxidant component 3,4- dihydroxyphenylethyl 4-formyl-3-formylmethyl-4-hexenoate from olive ( Olea europaea ) leaves. J Agric Food Chem. 2001 Sep;49(9):4214-9
Protein extraction for two-dimensional electrophoresis from olive leaf, a plant tissue containing high levels of interfering compounds. Electrophoresis. 2003 Jul;24(14):2369-75.