Study of the in vitro anticancer activity of Moroccan phenolic olive cake extracts

Abstract

The present work aimed to investigate the phenolic composition and the in vitro anticancer activity of ethanol olive cake extracts (OCE) originating in different areas of Tadla-Azilal region in Morocco. The HPLC-MS analysis showed that OCE were rich in biophenols mainly composed of secoiridoids and their derivatives, phenolic acids and flavonoids. The bioactivity of these phenolic extracts was evaluated by testing their cytotoxic effect against P815 mastocytoma murine cell line using the MTT assay. The results showed that the OCE exerted an in vitro cytotoxic activity in a dose-dependent manner, and the IC50 values were ranging from 20 to 40 µg/mL. Interestingly, compared to the conventional antitumor drug methotrexate, no cytotoxic effect of OCE was observed on the normal human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Furthermore, the extracts showed an apoptotic effect against P815 tumor cell line depending on the dose and the extract’s phenolic content.