Background: Oleuropein is a form of phenolic compound which can be majorly found in the olive leaves. Previous studies have shown several biological functions of oleuropein against different cancer cells. Aim and Objectives: This research was designed to
study the pre-initiation effect of oleuropein on the early skin tumour development using a mouse model. Material and Methods: Female Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mice (n=6 per group) were divided into 2 groups (group 1 as a carcinogen control and group 2 as a vehicle control) and 1 treatment group (group 3: 10
mg/kg of oleuropein). Results:After 10 weeks, Group 3 showed delay in epidermal hyperplasia formation and a significant reduction (p<0.05) in the epidermal thickness as compared to Group 1. Data were also displayed a significant increase (p<0.05) in the apoptotic rate in Group 3 as compared to Group 1 and 2.
For biochemical assays, the level of Malondialdehyde (MDA) was significantly (p<0.05) decreased whilst the levels of Glutathione (GSH) and Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) were significantly (p<0.05) increased in Group 3 as compared to Group 1. Conclusion: Our results indicate that pre-initiation treatment of oleuropein may prevent skin tumour development through its
antioxidant and apoptotic activities
