Sunday Oct 30, 2016 (foodconsumer.org) -- Oleanolic acid, a naturally occurring nontoxic compound found in olive oil, garlic and many other plants can be used as a safe cancer treatment, according to a new study published in Cell Biochemistry and Biophysics. 

It has been known for long that cancer cells produce energy from glucose through the so-called aerobic glycolysis (Warburg effect) and oleanolic acid is known to have anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties.

The current study shows that high salt-induced osmotic stress can enhance cancer cell growth, and aerobic glycolysis, and lactate production while this high salt induces the enhancement of aerobic glycolysis can be decreased by oleanolic acid.

Specifically, the study finds that high salt increases the production of key-rate-limiting enzymes of aerobic glycolysis such as hexokinase, pyruvate kinase type M2, and lactate dehydrogenase A while oleanolic acid offsets the high salt induced enhancement of the production of these enzymes.  

The study also reveals oleanolic acid decreases cancer cell proliferation and apoptosis by promoting the production of cytochrome oxidase, caspase activity and pro-apoptotic Bax expression.

The study suggests that oleanolic acid can be used as an anticancer therapy to limit the aerobic glycolysis  and increase the mitochondrial activity in cancer cells and prevent the proliferation of cancer cells. (David Liu)

Amara, S., Zheng, M. & Tiriveedhi, V. Cell Biochem Biophys (2016) 74: 427. doi:10.1007/s12013-016-0736-7