Olive Oil Polyphenols: A Promising Approach for Cancer Prevention and Therapy

Cancer is emerging as a leading cause of death globally. Considering the disease burden, scientists are working to develop various strategies by exploring natural sources for cancer treatment. The use of olive oil (OO) and its phytochemicals, specifically oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol (HT), as a remedy against various types of cancer is gaining attention among scientists and researchers. The current review aimed to highlight the antioxidant potential and summarize the various pathways and markers involved in the prevention and treatment of different human cancers. The databases, including Google Scholar, PubMed, and Web of Science, were searched to collect relevant data. The studies showed that some markers are specifically linked to particular types of cancers (such as 27-OHC, ATF-2, TNFRSF10B, HER2, and MET, which are linked to breast cancer; iNOS and NO, which are linked to thyroid cancer; GLUT1 and GLUT4, HIF-1α, MCT4, PKM2, PD-1, PD-L1, and CTLA-4, which are linked to colorectal cancer). Olive oil is involved in the management of these markers to prevent and/or treat all types of cancers by upregulating tumor suppressor genes, downregulating oncogenes, and modulating different pathways (PI3K/AKT/mTOR, Wnt/β-catenin, and MAPK). Taken together, it can be concluded that olive oil and its components have prominent potential to cure cancers in the human body. However, further investigations can be carried out to suggest the lethal doses of olive oils as a whole and its phytochemicals individually for the treatment of cancer.