Olive Leaf Extract - 60 V-Caps

The olive leaf (Olea europea)has been widely used by the Greeks and Romans since antiquity. In the early 1990s olive leaf extract was introduced as dietary supplement for its antiviral and antibacterial activities. Olive oils are a key part of Mediterranean diets, which have been associated with better overall health including a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.

Calcium elenolate (CE) a hydrolysed synthetic product of oleuropein, was extensively studied by the pharmaceutical giant Upjohn Co. in the late 60s. CE was shown to have profound antiviral activities. However, in-vivo CE was found to quickly bind to plasma proteins, negating its activity. The research was abandoned.

Chemistry

The pharmacologically active constituents in olive leaves are secoridoids, such as: oleuropein, oleuroside, ligstroside. Other ingredients include flavonoids, apigenin, caffeic acids and triterpenes. Oleuropein, a bitter glucoside found in highest concentrations in the leaves, has been well researched. It is responsible for many of the biological effects of olive leaf extract, and is readily absorbed and bioavailable.

Pharmacological properties / Clinical applications

Antihypertensive:Olive extracts have been found to lower blood pressure. Oleuropein possesses a vasodilator (blood vessel relaxing) effect. Moreover, a recent study has found that the aqueous extract of olive leaves inhibited Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), an enzyme that converts angiotensin I to angiotensin II. Angiotensin II is a potent vasoconstrictor.

Antithrombosis:The phenolic compound 3,4-di-hydrophenyl ethanol inhibited aggregation of platelet and production of thromboxane A2 (a stimulator of platelet aggregation with vasoconstrictor activity).

Prevention of development of atherosclerotic lesions:The secoridoid and phenolic compounds were found to protect vascular endothelium cells from damage. Olive extracts have been found to prevent the oxidation of lipids and of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, which leads to plaque formation.

Antioxidant activity:Caffeic acid and oleuropein were found to inhibit iron toxicity in rat hepatocytes by their antioxidant activity through the scavenging of superoxide radical. The compounds of olive leaf extracts have been shown to be more potent antioxidants than BHT or vitamin E.

Hypoglycemic effect:Oleuropein has a hypoglycemic effect possibly due to the potentiation of glucose-induced insulin release and/or increased peripheral glucose uptake.

Immune regulation:Olive leaf extracts have anti-inflammatory effects, and are able to increase the functional activity of important immune cells known as macrophages.

Antimicrobial Activity

1. Antibacterial:The extracts of olive leaf have potent antimicrobial activities against bacteria, fungi and mycoplasma. Oleuropein has been shown to inhibit growth and the production of enterotoxin B by Staphylococcus. Oleuropein also inhibits the growth of Bacillus cereus, E. coli, pseudomar, Bacillus subtilis, etc.

2. Antiviral:Olive leaf extract (Calcium elenolate) eliminates the viruses by interfering with certain amino acid production processes. The interference stops the virus from shedding, budding, or assembling at the cell membrane. Laboratory tests suggest that the compound has the ability to penetrate infected host cells and irreversibly inhibit viral replication. Oleuropein possesses antiviral activity against a number of viruses including parainfluenza 3, herpes, influenza A, polio, etc.
AIDS patients have begun to use olive leaf extract to help strengthen their immune system, relieve chronic fatigue, boost the effects of anti-HIV medications and help with HIV-associated infections. In vitro studies have found that the compounds of olive leaf extracts inhibit acute HIV-infection and cell-to-cell transmission, and block HIV replication, with no effect on uninfected target cells. The compounds have also been shown to reverse many of the changes in gene expression caused by HIV infection.