Quantitative Determination and Cytotoxic Effect of Oleanolic Acid from Olea europaea Leaves Extract Cultivated in Iraq

Abstract

Since its first description as a cytotoxic agent, Olea europaea leaves extract gained significant popularity against human breast cancer, ethyl acetate extract of Olea europaea leaves obtained by acid hydrolysis method was evaluated in vitro as cytotoxic agent against new human breast cancer (AMJ13) cell line, using the 3-[4,5- dimethylthiazole-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. One of the main pentacyclic triterpenoid; oleanolic acid, which was extracted from leaves of Olea europaea by well-known two different methods, the acidic hydrolysis method and basic acidic method, the presence of oleanolic acid was proved in both methods with qualitative and quantitative determination using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), the former extract was active against breast cancer AMJ13 cell line with IC50 value of 0.8936 μg/ml.