Olive skin as inhibitor of intestinal tumors

With 1,7 tons of olive oil, produced during the 2015-2016 campaign, the Spanish oil industry is one of the most important industries in Spain. The extraction of oil creates a high volume of vegetable waste, with which the research group led by Professor Marta Cascante has contributed in the development of a new additive for the health and food sector thanks to its antioxidant and anti-proliferating properties. The project, transferred to the company Biomaslínic, has been awarded with the Antoni Caparrós Prize for the best project of transfer of knowledge, technology and innovation.

The Research Group of Integrative Systems Biology, Metabolomics and Cancer characterized the properties of maslinic acid (present in olive skin) as inhibitor of the development of intestinal polyposis, a disease that creates benign tumors which can provoke cancer in the long run. This project, led by Dr Marta Cascante, counts with the participation of the researchers Susana Sánchez-Tena and Pilar Vinardell, from the University of Barcelona, as well as José Antonio Lupiáñez and Fernando Reyes from the University of Granada, and Ulrich Gunther from the University of Birmingham.

The good results regarding the inhibition of cell cycle in different tumor lines made place for the valorization of a new project which could be very interesting for food supplements on patients affected by familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), which have a strong probability of developing colon cancer. Biomaslínic, together with companies of its field, expects to start clinical tries on humans.

One of the objectives of the research is the revalorization of agroforestry waste, which makes the economic impact of the project to be high. Regarding social impact, the results are also relevant for the possible applications in the field of nutrition and health of the maslinic acid as a complement in a diet both for preventing colon cancer and for multiple applications in the cosmetic industry.

Dr Cascante is one of the most active researchers in the field of technology transfer. Since 1996, she has driven more than twenty-five collaboration projects through Bosch i Gimpera Foundation.

Image: The project, transferred to the company Biomaslínic, has been awarded with the Antoni Caparrós Prize.