Biological activity of oleuropein and its derivatives

Abstract

Investigation of the biological effects of olive oil/leaf/fruit phenolic extracts and, more recently, of the isolated compounds oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol has revealed their health beneficial action opening the way for a potential pharmacological utilization as single drug or after enrichment of olive oil or other food component. After a brief description of the chemical structure, biosynthesis, and the enzymatic degradation of oleuropein, which generates other biological active derivatives (i.e., hydroxytyrosol), the present review will focus on the biological effects of oleuropein, oleuropein aglycone, and hydroxytyrosol, with particular attention on the molecular mechanism underlying their action, resulting from in vitro and in vivo experimentation performed using isolated compounds.