A significant body of scientific evidence now indicates that
extracts from the olive tree, including the leaves, have in their
health-promoting repertoire the potential to resist or overcome attack by an
impressively wide range of infectious organisms as well as to generally boost
the immune system. This article reviews the available scientific and clinical
evidence.
Fever-lowering
properties
Interest in the potential benefits of extracts from the olive tree has
stemmed from two main historical sources of
independent origins. The first of these, in the mid-19th century, involved
reports of fever-lowering properties, including the ability of olive leaf
extracts to prevent or cure the symptoms of malaria. In 1854, Hanbury published
an article in the Pharmaceutical Journal of Provincial Transactions
relating that a “decoction of the leaves” of the olive tree had been found to be
extremely effective in reducing fevers due to a severe, and otherwise often
fatal, disease that had swept the island of Mytelene in 18431. The
olive leaf extract was reported subsequently to be more effective in its
fever-lowering properties than quinine.
Hanbury recalled that similar observations had been made in France and
Spain many years previously (between 1811 and 1828). It appears that, in the
early 19th century, Spanish physicians sometimes prescribed olive leaves as a
“febrifuge”, and consequently, during the Spanish war of 1808—1813, the French
Officiers de Sante often used them to treat cases of “intermittent fever”2.
Hanbury went on the describe how Pallas, following observations of clinical
benefits3,4 made an analysis of the leaves and young bark of the
olive tree and found them to contain, among other compounds, a bitter
crystallisable substance which he designated as “Vauqueline”3. Pallas
ascribed most of the “febrifuge” properties of the olive tree to Vauqueline.
Antimicrobial
properties – manufacturing problems
The second historical source indicating that components of the olive tree
had biologically important properties came from the European olive fermentation
industry. Up until the 1970s, the industry had suffered problems in the
fermentation of olives, a process involving lactic acid pickling, because of
strong resistance of the fresh fruits to the action of lactic acid bacteria.5,6,7,8
In 1960, Panizzi et al9 had isolated a bitter
glucoside, oleuropein, from olive leaves, with the empirical formula C25H32O13.
The substance, later determined to be a phenolic compound belonging to the
iridoid group,10 was also present in the olive itself. Oleuropein, as
with Pallas’ “Vauqueline”, was considered to be the source of the olive tree’s
powerful disease-resistant properties. It was subsequently found that removal of
oleuropein from olives enabled fermentation to take place successfully.11,6
The olive oil manufacturing industry had also long been well aware of the
rich antibacterial properties of the olive tree. The manufacturing process
involves milling of olive paste and continuous washing with water, known as
malaxation. The waste waters from this process were generally discarded;
however, it was found that if the waters found their way into the soil, they
displaced beneficial bacterial flora and adversely affected the natural
biodegradation process.12,13,14,15
The chemical
components
Over a period of more than 30 years since Panizzi et al’s9
isolation of oleuropein, extracts from various parts of the olive tree have been
extensively investigated. Oleuropein appears to be present throughout the olive
tree, including leaves, buds, fruit, wood, bark and roots.16,3,17,18
Olive leaves contain around 60—90 mg per gram (dry weight) oleuropein,19
plus
significant levels of a glucosidic ester of elenolic acid and hydroxytyrosol
(3,4-dihydrophenylethanol). However, it turns out that oleuropein and the
products of its hydrolysis, oleuropein aglycone, elenolic acid,
beta-3,4-dihydroxyphenyethyl alcohol and methyl-o-methyl elenolate,20 are the
major molecules of interest biologically.
Antibacterial actions
– in vitro studies
A variety of antibacterial actions of oleuropein and its associated
compounds have been demonstrated in vitro. Fleming et al8
isolated six major phenolic compounds from green olives; one particular
compound, possibly a hydrolysis product of oleuropein, was much more inhibitory
than oleuropein itself to the lactic acid bacterium Leuconostoc
mesenteroides FBB 42. Later on, the oleuropein aglycone and elenolic acid
were found to strongly inhibit the growth of three further species of lactic
acid bacteria – Lactobacillus plantarum, Pediococcus cerevisiae,
and Lactobacillus brevis.20 Since the aglycone is composed
of elenolic acid bound to b-3,4-dihydroxyphenylethyl alcohol, and the latter
compound was not inhibitory, the investigators concluded that elenolic acid was
the inhibitory part of the aglycone molecule. Oleuropein itself was not
inhibitory to these bacteria, but did inhibit three species of non-lactic acid
bacteria – Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillis subtilis and
Pseudomonas solanecearum. In addition, an acid hydrolysate of an extract of
oleuropein (containing hydrolysis products of oleuropein not specifically
identified) inhibited the growth of a further eight species of bacteria.
Some more recent in vitro studies have shown that oleuropein and/or its
hydrolysis products also inhibit the germination and sporulation of Bacillus
megaterium15 and inhibit outgrowth of germinating spores of
Bacillus cereus T.21
Antiviral actions
In addition to its antibacterial actions, elenolic acid has been shown to
be a potent inhibitor of a wide spectrum of viruses. In search of new antiviral
compounds, Renis22 tested the effects of the calcium salt of elenolic
acid (which had proved to be the most active olive-derived compound against
bacteria) on a range of viruses in vitro, and found that calcium
elenolate destroyed all the viruses it was tested against. These included
herpes, vaccinia, pseudorabies, influenza A (PR8), Newcastle disease,
parainfluenza 3, Coxsackie A21, encephalomyocarditis, polio 1, 2 and 3,
vesicular stomatitis, Sindbis and reovirus 3 (Deering) viruses. Calcium
elenolate also inhibits the RNA-dependent DNA polymerase I enzymes (reverse
transcriptases) of murine leukaemia viruses (MuLV(M) and Rauscher),23
and the DNA polymerase II and III enzymes of Eschericha coli24
in vitro. In addition to its in vitro effects, Soret25
showed that calcium elenolate effectively reduced viral titres in vivo
when given before and/or after inoculation of hamsters with myxovirus
parainfluenza type 3 (HA-1 virus, strain C-243). Treatment with calcium
elenolate, but not placebo, prevented spread of viral infection to the lungs.
Cardiovascular
effects in animals
Not only are Olea europea-derived compounds active against
infectious organisms; they also appear to have some interesting effects on the
cardiovascular system that are unrelated to their antioxidant properties (see
later), including blood-pressure- lowering and anti-arrhythmic actions, and
effects on coronary blood flow in certain situations.
In anaesthetised cats, 20—40 mg/kg oleuropein caused a clear-cut,
dose-dependent drop in blood pressure lasting more than 1 hour.26 In
dogs with experimentally induced hypertension, 10—30 mg/kg oleuropein caused a
sharp, long-lasting drop in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in three
out of four animals, and a lesser, shorter-lived decrease in blood pressure in
the fourth dog. The same investigators found that oleuropein caused an increase
in blood flow through the coronary vessels of isolated rabbit heart
preparations, but no change in coronary flow in anaesthetised cats at doses of
10—30 mg/kg. However, in a model of experimentally disturbed coronary
circulation, oleuropein (30 mg/kg intravenously) largely abolished the
characteristic ECG (electrocardiogram) changes caused by Pituitrin (which
diminishes coronary blood flow) in conscious rabbits, when given 1 minute after
the Pituitrin injection. Lastly, Petkov and Manolov26 found that
oleuropein eliminated cardiac arrhythmia in dogs with induced hypertension for
1.5—2 hours, normalised cardiac rhythm in rabbits with barium chloride-induced
arrhythmia for about 1 hour, and prevented or reduced the duration of disturbed
cardiac rhythm in rats with calcium chloride-induced arrhythmia. The
pharmacological mechanisms underlying any of these effects on the heart and
vasculature are unknown.
Antioxidant effects –
in vitro studies
Oxidation of low density lipoproteins (LDL) contributes to the development
of atherosclerosis,27,28 the process underlying peripheral vascular
disease, coronary heart disease, stroke and multi-infarct dementia. Dietary
composition significantly affects plasma LDL-cholesterol levels and the
incidence of coronary heart disease.29 Notably, the traditional
Mediterranean diet, rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes, grains and
vegetable (mainly olive) oil, is associated with a lower incidence of coronary
heart disease. Consumption of olive oil and dressed olives (both rich in
oleuropein) has also been reported to lower the incidence of cardiovascular
disease.30,31 This dietary effect was initially thought to be due to
the intake of a relatively low level of saturated fat and higher levels of
monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids.32–36 However, it now
appears that natural antioxidants present in the diet may also play a part in
the prevention atherosclerosis.37–39
Phenolic compounds derived from the leaves, fruits and oil of the olive
tree (Olea europaea L) have long been known to have anti-oxidative
properties.40–44 More recently, Le Tutour and Guedon19
demonstrated that oleuropein, hydroxytyrosol, and in particular, extracts of
Olea europaea leaf (containing 19% oleuropein, 1.8% flavonoid glycosides, and
3,4-dihydroxy- phenethyl esters) were more potent antioxidants than vitamin E or
another established antioxidant, BHT, in a model chemical system (inhibition of
oxidation of methyl linoleate in heptanol or propanol-water, initiated by
2,2’-azo-bis-isobutyronitrile (AIBN)). Another recent in vitro study32
showed that oleuropein (at a concentration of 10–5 M) significantly inhibited
copper sulphate-induced oxidation of low density lipoprotein (LDL) extracted
from normal human plasma.
Safety studies in
animals
Several studies in animals have provided information about the in vivo
safety and toxicity of compounds present in extracts from Olea europaea.
Elliott et al45 determined the LD50 (the dose that is lethal
for at least 50% of a designated population of laboratory animals) for calcium
elenolate to be 120 mg/kg in mice when given intraperitoneally, and 160 mg/kg in
rats via the intraperitoneal route and 1,700 mg/kg via the oral route. Petkov
and Manolov26 gave single intraperitoneal doses of oleuropein to mice
ranging from 100 to 1000 mg/kg (in solutions of 1, 5 and 10%), but observed no
toxic effects and no deaths during the 7-days post-treatment period, and so were
unable to determine oleuropein’s LD50 in this study.
In repeated-dose (“subacute”) studies, Elliott et al45
found calcium elenolate to be well tolerated in rats given daily oral doses of
0, 30, 100 or 300 mg/kg for 1 month. The only drug-related change observed was a
yellowing of the nonglandular fore-stomach in 40% of the rats receiving the
highest dose (300 mg/kg). In 7-month-old beagle dogs given daily oral doses of
0, 3, 10 or 30 mg/kg calcium elenolate for 1 month, all but the highest dose
were well tolerated – three out of the four dogs receiving 30 mg/kg showed a
mild gastric irritation with sporadic vomiting. Tissue analysis revealed a few
small gastric erosions in these animals.
In their investigations of the cardiovascular effects of oleuropein in
animals, described earlier (see Cardiovascular effects, above), Petkov and
Manolov26 observed that 3—50 mg/kg oleuropein given intraperitoneally
caused a slight stimulation of the respiratory rate in anaesthetised cats. Also,
in doses of 10—30 mg/kg, it caused a brief depressed state with decreased motor
activity in two out of four conscious dogs with induced hypertension, and was
badly tolerated in a third dog, causing excitation, scratching, and vigorous
jolting movements, red, watery eyes, and hyperaemic (warm, reddened) abdominal
skin.
Lastly, Ruiz-Gutierrez et al,46 investigating the
effects of oleuropein on lipids and fatty acids in heart tissue, did not report
any adverse behavioural or other effects (for example, on food consumption, body
weight, heart weight or heart total lipid content) in rats given intraperitoneal
injections of 25 or 50 mg/kg daily for 3 weeks. Oleuropein did significantly
reduce the linoleic acid content and the ratio of unsaturated to saturated fatty
acids in heart polar lipids, depleted heart levels of vitamin E, and itself
became incorporated in heart tissue, but the significance of these findings is
unclear. However, heart tissue that had been pre-treated with oleuropein in
vitro was not susceptible to peroxidation.
Olive leaf extract –
a new formulation
The weight of evidence from the in vitro and in vivo studies strongly
favours beneficial effects of olive tree extracts in the fight against
infectious diseases as well as cardiovascular disease, and, on the whole,
calcium elenolate and oleuropein at therapeutic doses appear to be safe and well
tolerated in animals. Why, then, has no drug company snapped up this promising
avenue of research to capitalise on the likely benefits in humans? In fact, a US
drug company, The Upjohn Co of Kalamazoo, Michigan, was responsible for much of
the work on the antiviral properties of calcium elenolate in the 1960s and
1970s. However, they came across a problem that reduced to insignificant the
practical usefulness of the compound in humans. Calcium elenolate has a strong
affinity for plasma proteins, and when administered to humans, the drug quickly
bound to these molecules, effectively taking it out of action within minutes.
The researchers at Upjohn Co were unable to overcome this problem, and so, in
the mid-1970s, abandoned the development of calcium elenolate as an antiviral
agent.
Independent researchers, however, continued to investigate the potential of
olive leaf extracts and finally made a breakthrough in 1994. By making certain
structural changes to the active molecule (now a closely-guarded and patented
secret process), they found they could significantly reduce if not eliminate the
binding of calcium elenolate to serum protein. The result was Eden Extract™, a
pure olive leaf extract obtained by a hydro-ethanolic process, manufactured by
East Park Research, Inc., of Henderson, Nevada, USA, who also owns the patent to
the product.
Clinical evidence of
efficacy
From the above review, the preclinical evidence for the anti-infective and
cardiovascular effects of olive tree extracts is fairly extensive and
convincing. By contrast, however, the clinical evidence is relatively scarce.
This is not to say that what clinical evidence there is is not compelling. But,
because development of the olive leaf extract as a possible pharmaceutical
product was abandoned in the 1970s, and has continued via private research as a
food supplement, extensive clinical studies have not been carried out. As a food
supplement, the manufacturer cannot make any claims about the effects of the
product (but relies on independent publicity gained through consumers’ and
health practitioners’ use of the product), but conversely is not required to
conduct lengthy and costly clinical trials to prove its efficacy in any medical
condition. The product may be sold legally for human dietary consumption based
on its natural origins, conventional extraction process, proven safety in
animals at the recommended doses for humans, and its documented historical safe
use in humans in Europe for more than a century.
Clinical studies
A limited number of open (uncontrolled) clinical studies have been or are
being conducted with Eden Extract™ or an earlier version of the product, Viliv,
although results from these studies have not yet been published by the
respective investigators. In 1993, a preliminary study was carried out by
investigators at the NFN Company, Los Angeles, California, USA.47 Six
subjects with herpes simplex II (and possibly I) infection, previously diagnosed
by a physician, were treated with 2—4 oz of Viliv (a wine-based tincture
containing concentrated olive leaf extract) orally every 6 hours for 6 weeks.
Three subjects reported complete remission of lesions and associated
pain/discomfort after 36—48 hours, and a fourth reported relief of pain after a
further 48 hours. The other two subjects reported relief of pain/discomfort over
the course of the study. There was a trend towards reduced blood levels of
antibodies after 2—3 weeks of treatment, but the number of samples was too few
to give a definitive conclusion.
A clinical study involving the use of Eden Extract™ is reported to be
underway at The “R” Clinic, Budapest, Hungary,48 which employs
innovative medical alternatives to help provide improved healthcare for
Hungarian citizens. The medical director, Dr. Robert Lyons, along with 40
physicians from the US, has already treated 500 patients with Eden Extract™.
Patients initially took two capsules (each containing 500 mg of concentrated
olive leaf extract) three times daily, in accordance with the manufacturer’s
recommendations, and the dose was reduced to one capsule four times daily if
their disease symptoms improved.
According to US medical journalist Morton Walker,48 who has
corresponded with Dr. Lyons in regard to this study, 157 out of 164 patients
with respiratory diseases or lung conditions (tonsillitis, pharyngitis,
tracheitis, pneumonia, bronchitis) recovered fully and six improved (one patient
was unaccounted for in the article); 60 out of 67 patients with dental problems
(pulpitis, leukoplakia, stomatitis) fully recovered, five improved and two
remained unchanged; 150 out of 209 patients with viral or bacterial skin
infections fully recovered and 59 improved; all 17 patients with gastric ulcer
and Helicobacter pylori infection improved, though none recovered
fully; and 40 out of 43 patients with impaired immunity showed improved immune
status (details of how this was assessed were not given) while three remained
unchanged. It is unclear how long patients were continued on treatment, but some
appear to have responded within a matter of a few days or weeks.
A further clinical study, investigating the efficacy of olive leaf extract
in the treatment of malaria, is reported to be underway in Taiwan under the
direction of Dr. Bernard Friedlander, a chiropractor from San Mateo, California,
USA.49 Results from this study, however, are not yet available.
Clinical anecdotes
and individual cases
Other than from the above-mentioned clinical studies, indications of
clinical efficacy of Eden Extract™ come from consumers’ letters sent directly to
the manufacturer (East Park Research, Inc., Henderson, Nevada, USA) or
indirectly via health practitioners (including physicians, chiropractors and
nutritionists); and case reports or clinical anecdotes provided by a number of
US health practitioners who have prescribed Eden Extract™ to their patients and
observed beneficial effects.
General practitioner Dr. James Privitera, M.D., of Covina, California,
appears to have had the most extensive clinical experience with use of the olive
leaf extract, which has been available in the US since 1995. He has reportedly
observed the following benefits: relief of arthritic inflammations; reduction of
insulin dosages in diabetics; elimination of the symptoms of chronic fatigue
syndrome; increased energy/stamina; improved blood flow in cardiovascular
disorders; lessening of haemorrhoid pain; attenuation of toothaches; elimination
of fungal infections such as onychomycosis and tinea pedis; prevention or cure
of numerous viral infections; relief of many of the symptoms of Candida albicans
and other yeast infections; and elimination of a variety of parasites including
protozoa and helminth worms.48
Other case reports or anecdotes mention the following benefits with Eden
Extract™: probable prevention and successful treatment of herpes genitalis
(herpes simplex II);48,49 improved symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis,
prostate cancer and some other cancers, and skin conditions; improvement in
chronic fatigue syndrome; improvement of sore throats, coughs, colds, and
chronic sinusitis;49 improvement of tinea (pityriasis) versicolor,
psoriasis, persistent respiratory infection, and chronic scalp infection;50
relief from the pain of shingles (herpes zoster infection); elimination of the
“yeast syndrome”/ Candida albicans infection; and restoration of immune function
in a severely immune-depressed patient with multiple long-term allergies and
opportunistic infections.48
Side-effects in
humans
The only side-effect that appears to have been reported with clinical use
is a so-called “die-off” effect, which has been likened to the Herxheimer
reaction sometimes encountered during the treatment of yeast infections.51,52
This reaction is believed to occur when a large quantity of infectious organisms
in the body are killed off in a relatively short period of time. Large amounts
of toxic substances are released into the body tissues and blood stream from the
dying organisms together with cellular debris, and the person’s immune system
rapidly reacts to these substances to remove them from the body as quickly as
possible. As a result, the person may temporarily experience a number of
allergic- or flu-like symptoms such as headache, fever, fatigue, muscle/joint
aches, and diarrhoea.53 The symptoms of this “die-off”, or
detoxification, reaction last for between 4 and 7 days. Some patients may
experience only a mild headache, and many experience no such effects at all. The
effects of the “die-off” reaction are not thought to be harmful, but the
manufacturer advises that if symptoms do occur, the patient should temporarily
stop taking the capsules or cut back on the daily amount he/she is taking, so
that the body has a chance to eliminate the toxic waste products accumulating in
the system.
Summary and
conclusions
Extracts from the European olive tree have a long history of association
with fever-lowering and antimicrobial properties, and these are now convincingly
supported by laboratory studies of antibacterial and antiviral actions conducted
over the last 30 years or more. The association of olive oil and other oils
containing high levels of mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids and low levels
of saturated fats with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease is also
well-established. Evidence from laboratory studies of further possible
cardiovascular benefits, such as blood pressure-lowering, anti-arrhythmic,
coronary blood flow-reducing and antioxidant actions, adds a further exciting
dimension to the possible health-promoting benefits of these extracts, and
deserves deeper exploration.
Most of the laboratory evidence has involved the major phenolic compound of
olive tree extracts, oleuropein, and its hydrolysis product elenolic acid, and
these agents have been shown to be safe and well-tolerated by the oral, as well
as intraperitoneal, route in a variety of animals at the levels present in doses
of olive leaf extract recommended for human dietary supplementation. Eden
Extract™ incorporates structural changes to the elenolic acid molecule that
overcome the bioavailability problems in humans encountered with earlier such
preparations (due to rapid binding to serum proteins). This product has been
available to the US public as a food supplement since 1995 and has recently
become available in the UK.
Formal clinical studies of possible health benefits of extracts from the
olive tree in humans are scarce; however, case reports and clinical anecdotes
received by the manufacturer from consumers and health practitioners in the US
indicate that the product may well have effective antibacterial and antiviral
properties in humans, as well as hitherto unrecognised benefits to the
cardiovascular and immune systems. Other health-promoting properties, such as
antifungal, anti-inflammatory and anticancer actions, are also suggested by
these unofficial reports. However, such reports cannot be presented as proof of
clinical efficacy, since the placebo effect is likely to be a significant factor
in any non-controlled study and in individual cases.
Published findings from the clinical studies reported to be underway should
provide important supporting evidence for olive leaf extract’s clinical
potential. Organised, well-designed studies targeting particular human ailments
would provide further convincing proof of the range and depth of
health-promoting effects of this potentially far-reaching product. From its
historical origins, which have been said to date back as far as biblical times
and to ancient Egypt, the olive tree has come a long way in gaining recognition
for its remarkable properties. It would be a great shame if such a possible
source of power against human ailments remained unrecognised and untapped
because of a lack of investment in clinically definitive studies in the final
stages of its development.
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48. Walker M. Olive leaf extract. The new oral treatment to counteract most
types of pathological organisms. Explore! Volume 7, Number 4,
1996. Explore? Publications, PO Box 1508, Mt Vernon, WA 98273, USA.
49. Walker M. Antimicrobial attributes of olive leaf extract.
Townsend Letter for Doctors & Patients, July 1996, pp 80—85.
50. Letters received from consumers by East Park Research, Inc., Hendersen,
Nevada, USA, August 1995 – March 1996.
51. Trowbridge JP, Walker M. The Yeast Syndrome. New York: Bantam Books,
1986, pp. 132—133.
52. Baker SM. Notes on the Yeast Problem. New Haven: Gessell Institute of
Human Development, 1985, pp. 8.
53. Information provided by the UK distributor of Eden Extract™, Tigon
Limited, Loughborough, Leicestershire.
Order Olive Leaf Tincture