# Maslinic Acid (Olea europaea)

**Canonical URL:** https://ingredients.hermeticasuperfoods.com/ingredients/maslinic-acid-olea-europaea
**Data Source:** Hermetica Superfoods Ingredient Encyclopedia
**Updated:** 2026-04-05
**Evidence Score:** 1 / 10
**Category:** Compound
**Also Known As:** 2α-hydroxyloleanolic acid, Crategolic acid, 2α-hydroxy-β-boswellic acid, MA (abbreviation), Olea europaea triterpene

## Overview

Maslinic acid (C₃₀H₄₈O₄, MW 472.70) is a pentacyclic triterpene that exerts anticancer, [anti-inflammatory](/ingredients/condition/inflammation), and antidiabetic effects by arresting the cell cycle, activating caspase-3 via p38 MAPK phosphorylation, inhibiting NF-κB DNA-binding, and suppressing COX-2 expression. In the most clinically informative human pharmacokinetic data available (NUTRAOLEUM study), a single 30 mL dose of high-triterpene olive oil raised plasma maslinic acid from 1.8 ng/mL to 8.5 ng/mL at 24 hours, accumulating to 21.5 ng/mL after three weeks of repeated daily dosing.

## Health Benefits

- **Anticancer/Anti-Proliferative Activity**: Maslinic acid induces apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in colorectal cancer lines HT-29 (IC₅₀ 101.2 μM at 72 h) and Caco-2, and in sarcoma lines SW982 and SK-UT-1 (IC₅₀ 45.3 μM and 59.1 μM at 24 h), mediated through elevated intracellular ROS, caspase-3 activation, and nuclear fragmentation.
- **Anti-Inflammatory Action**: The compound inhibits NF-κB DNA-binding activity in Raji cells, suppresses COX-2 expression, and reduces [pro-inflammatory cytokine](/ingredients/condition/inflammation)s IL-6 and TNF-α at concentrations of 50–100 μM, with additional modulation of arachidonic acid metabolism via phospholipase A₂ and upstream kinase signaling.
- **Antioxidant Effects**: Maslinic acid reduces hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress with an IC₅₀ of 46.3 μM and attenuates superoxide anion (O₂⁻) generation at 150 μM, helping protect cells from [reactive oxygen species](/ingredients/condition/antioxidant)-mediated damage in preclinical models.
- **Antidiabetic Potential**: Preclinical evidence suggests maslinic acid modulates [glucose metabolism](/ingredients/condition/weight-management) and insulin signaling pathways, though specific enzymatic targets and quantified effect sizes in diabetic animal models require further characterization in peer-reviewed literature.
- **Anti-Edema and Topical Anti-Inflammatory Effects**: At a dose of 0.13 mg/ear in a murine TPA-induced ear edema model, maslinic acid demonstrated significant topical anti-inflammatory activity, indicating bioactivity relevant to dermatological or localized inflammatory conditions.
- **Hypoxia-Regulated Tumor Suppression**: In sarcoma cells under hypoxic conditions, maslinic acid reduces HIF-1α stability—shortening its half-life from 11.81 minutes to 4.96 minutes—and acts as a non-competitive MRP1 efflux pump inhibitor, potentially enhancing intracellular drug retention in chemoresistant tumors.
- **Neuroprotective Indicators**: Oral administration of 50 mg/kg in mice increased brain weight by 11% without signs of neurotoxicity over a 28-day period, suggesting a trophic or [neuroprotective effect](/ingredients/condition/cognitive) warranting further mechanistic investigation.

## Mechanism of Action

Maslinic acid exerts its anti-proliferative effects by inducing cell cycle arrest and triggering the intrinsic apoptotic cascade: it elevates intracellular [reactive oxygen species](/ingredients/condition/antioxidant) including superoxide anion (O₂⁻), promotes phosphorylation of p38 MAPK, causes intracellular Ca²⁺ overload, and activates caspase-3, culminating in plasma membrane disintegration and nuclear fragmentation in susceptible cancer cell lines. Its anti-inflammatory mechanism centers on direct inhibition of NF-κB DNA-binding activity, which downstream suppresses COX-2 transcription and reduces secretion of [pro-inflammatory cytokine](/ingredients/condition/inflammation)s IL-6 and TNF-α, while additionally modulating phospholipase A₂ activity and arachidonic acid [metabolism](/ingredients/condition/weight-management). Under hypoxic tumor microenvironment conditions, maslinic acid destabilizes the transcription factor HIF-1α (reducing half-life from ~11.8 to ~5.0 minutes) and competitively inhibits the MRP1 drug efflux transporter in a non-competitive kinetic manner, potentially re-sensitizing tumors to chemotherapy. Gut-phase metabolism generates at least 11 phase I metabolites—including mono- and dihydroxylated derivatives and dehydrogenated products—that concentrate in the distal intestine and may contribute to local anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative bioactivity in colonocytes.

## Clinical Summary

No efficacy-focused randomized controlled trials in human subjects have been completed and published for maslinic acid as of available data. The single human clinical dataset (NUTRAOLEUM) measured only pharmacokinetic endpoints—plasma concentration over time—after administration of a triterpene-enriched olive oil product rather than an isolated maslinic acid supplement, and did not report efficacy outcomes, sample size, or placebo-controlled comparisons. Preclinical rodent studies have demonstrated tolerability at 50 mg/kg/day oral for 28 days with no observed adverse effects, and provided pharmacokinetic benchmarks, but these do not translate directly to human efficacious doses or clinical endpoints such as tumor response, glycemic control, or inflammatory biomarker reduction. Confidence in clinical benefit is therefore low at present; the compound is a scientifically promising candidate for anticancer and [anti-inflammatory](/ingredients/condition/inflammation) indications, but definitive effect sizes, optimal human doses, and clinical endpoints remain unestablished pending rigorous Phase I/II trials.

## Nutritional Profile

Maslinic acid is a pure secondary metabolite compound rather than a macronutrient or micronutrient; as such, it does not contribute caloric value, protein, carbohydrate, fat, or conventional vitamins or minerals to the diet. Its chemical identity is defined by the molecular formula C₃₀H₄₈O₄ (molecular weight 472.70 g/mol), placing it in the oleanane-type pentacyclic triterpene scaffold family, closely related structurally to oleanolic acid (its C-2 hydroxyl epimer) and betulinic acid. In whole food sources, maslinic acid co-occurs with other bioactive polyphenols and triterpenes characteristic of olives: oleuropein, hydroxytyrosol, squalene, and β-sitosterol, and its dietary intake from olive oil consumption is estimated in the microgram-to-low-milligram range per day. Oral bioavailability is limited (~5.13% in rodents), influenced by the compound's high lipophilicity (logP estimated >4), poor aqueous solubility, and susceptibility to phase I gut [metabolism](/ingredients/condition/weight-management) yielding 11 characterized hydroxylated and dehydrogenated metabolites concentrated in the distal intestine.

## Dosage & Preparation

- **Pure Powder Form**: Maslinic acid is commercially available as a white crystalline powder (≥98% purity by HPLC) extracted from olive pomace via ethyl acetate solvent extraction followed by chromatographic purification; no standardized human supplement dose has been established.
- **Olive Pomace Extract**: Standardized extracts from olive pomace may contain 212–1,485 mg/kg maslinic acid; products are sometimes standardized to total triterpene content (maslinic + oleanolic acid combined).
- **Triterpene-Enriched Olive Oil**: The NUTRAOLEUM clinical formulation delivered maslinic acid within a 30 mL olive oil matrix; plasma levels reached 8.5 ng/mL after a single dose and accumulated to 21.5 ng/mL after 3 weeks of daily use.
- **Preclinical Reference Dose**: 50 mg/kg/day oral in rodents has been used in safety and pharmacokinetic studies; direct human dose equivalents require allometric scaling and have not been validated in clinical trials.
- **Solubility and Formulation Note**: Maslinic acid is insoluble in water but soluble in ethanol, methanol, ethyl acetate, benzene, and chloroform; lipid-based delivery systems (e.g., olive oil matrix) are likely to improve oral bioavailability beyond the ~5% observed with simple aqueous or powder administration.
- **Timing**: Rapid gastrointestinal absorption observed in rodents peaks at approximately 30 minutes post-ingestion; co-administration with dietary fat may optimize absorption given the compound's lipophilic character.

## Safety & Drug Interactions

Maslinic acid demonstrates a favorable preclinical safety profile: oral administration at 50 mg/kg/day for 28 consecutive days in rodent models produced no observable toxicity signs, no adverse behavioral changes, and no significant body weight alterations, and no lethality or overt discomfort was noted at high experimental concentrations in animal studies. No specific drug-drug interactions have been formally characterized; however, its function as a non-competitive MRP1 (multidrug resistance protein 1) inhibitor raises a theoretical concern that maslinic acid could alter the pharmacokinetics of MRP1-substrate drugs (including certain antiretrovirals, chemotherapeutics, and methotrexate) by reducing their cellular efflux, a potential interaction requiring clinical investigation before co-administration with such agents. No contraindications, upper tolerable intake levels, teratogenicity data, or guidance specific to pregnancy and lactation have been established in published literature; pregnant and breastfeeding individuals should avoid supplemental maslinic acid use until safety data in these populations are available. Human safety data remain limited to indirect pharmacokinetic observations from the NUTRAOLEUM study; formal toxicology studies in humans have not been published, and the compound should be regarded as investigational for supplemental use beyond quantities naturally present in food.

## Scientific Research

The current evidence base for maslinic acid is predominantly preclinical, comprising in vitro cell culture studies across multiple cancer and [inflammatory](/ingredients/condition/inflammation) cell lines and in vivo rodent pharmacokinetic and toxicology experiments, with no published large-scale randomized controlled trials in humans. The NUTRAOLEUM pharmacokinetic study represents the most substantive human data: it documented plasma accumulation of maslinic acid following repeated dosing of high-triterpene olive oil, showing plasma levels rising from 1.8 ng/mL at baseline to 8.5 ng/mL at 24 hours post-single dose and reaching 21.5 ng/mL after 3 weeks of daily dosing, though full sample size and statistical methodology are not disclosed in available sources. Rodent bioavailability studies report oral bioavailability of 5.13% with a peak plasma concentration time of approximately 0.51 hours and two-compartment distribution kinetics (central volume 8.41 L/70 kg, peripheral volume 63.6 L/70 kg), establishing basic pharmacokinetic parameters that will be essential for designing future human dose-finding trials. The gap between compelling mechanistic in vitro data—particularly IC₅₀ values in the 45–101 μM range across cancer lines—and verified physiologically achievable human plasma concentrations remains a critical translational challenge that has not yet been bridged by efficacy trials.

## Historical & Cultural Context

Maslinic acid has not been identified as an isolated compound in classical traditional medicine systems such as Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine, or Greco-Roman herbal practice; it is a modern phytochemical isolate rather than a historically recognized medicinal entity. However, its source plant, Olea europaea, carries extraordinary cultural and medicinal heritage spanning more than 5,000 years across Mediterranean civilizations—the olive tree was revered in ancient Greece, Egypt, and Rome for its oil's culinary, cosmetic, and wound-healing properties, and olive leaf preparations were used empirically for fever, infection, and [inflammation](/ingredients/condition/inflammation) in traditional European folk medicine. The concentrated presence of maslinic acid in olive pomace—a byproduct of olive oil production—means that historical populations consuming whole olives or crude olive preparations likely ingested meaningful quantities of this triterpene without awareness of its identity, situating modern research as a molecular explanation for aspects of the Mediterranean diet's observed health benefits. Contemporary interest in maslinic acid as an isolated bioactive largely emerged from late 20th- and early 21st-century phytochemical profiling of olive oil byproducts driven by both pharmaceutical interest and the search for high-value applications of the olive oil industry's waste stream.

## Synergistic Combinations

Maslinic acid is structurally and biosynthetically related to oleanolic acid, and these two pentacyclic triterpenes co-occur in olive extracts; combinatorial use of maslinic and oleanolic acid may provide complementary [anti-inflammatory](/ingredients/condition/inflammation) and [hepatoprotective](/ingredients/condition/detox) effects through overlapping but distinct NF-κB and Nrf2 pathway modulation, though direct synergy studies for this pairing are not yet published. As a lipophilic compound with low oral bioavailability (~5%), maslinic acid absorption is likely enhanced when delivered in a dietary fat matrix—such as extra virgin olive oil—alongside polyphenols like hydroxytyrosol, which may additionally provide synergistic [antioxidant](/ingredients/condition/antioxidant) and anti-inflammatory activity consistent with the broader Mediterranean diet pattern. In oncology research contexts, its MRP1 inhibitory activity suggests a potential chemosensitizing role when combined with MRP1-substrate chemotherapeutic agents, though this pharmacodynamic interaction remains entirely preclinical and requires rigorous safety evaluation before any clinical application.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What is maslinic acid and where does it come from?

Maslinic acid (C₃₀H₄₈O₄, molecular weight 472.70) is a pentacyclic triterpene compound classified under the oleanane scaffold, naturally produced as a phytoalexin by the olive tree (Olea europaea). It is found in highest concentrations in olive pomace—the solid residue after oil pressing—at up to 1,485 mg/kg, making pomace the primary commercial extraction source, while extra virgin olive oil contains a more modest 20–98 mg/kg.

### Does maslinic acid have proven anticancer effects in humans?

Current anticancer evidence for maslinic acid is entirely preclinical: it inhibits colorectal cancer cells (HT-29 IC₅₀ 101.2 μM at 72 h; Caco-2) and sarcoma lines (SW982 IC₅₀ 45.3 μM; SK-UT-1 IC₅₀ 59.1 μM at 24 h) via caspase-3 activation, p38 MAPK phosphorylation, and HIF-1α destabilization in laboratory models. No human clinical trials measuring tumor response or cancer prevention outcomes have been completed and published, so it would be premature to claim proven anticancer efficacy in people.

### What is the recommended dosage of maslinic acid for humans?

No standardized human supplemental dose has been established for maslinic acid, as no efficacy-focused clinical trials have been completed. Preclinical rodent studies have used 50 mg/kg/day orally for up to 28 days without observed toxicity; the only human pharmacokinetic data comes from the NUTRAOLEUM study using 30 mL of triterpene-enriched olive oil daily, which raised plasma maslinic acid to 21.5 ng/mL after three weeks—though whether this concentration is therapeutically relevant remains unknown.

### How well is maslinic acid absorbed when taken orally?

Oral bioavailability of maslinic acid is approximately 5.13% in rodents, with peak plasma concentration reached rapidly at about 30 minutes post-ingestion and a two-compartment pharmacokinetic distribution profile. Because maslinic acid is highly lipophilic and virtually insoluble in water, absorption is expected to improve when consumed within a lipid matrix such as olive oil, a hypothesis supported by the detectable plasma accumulation observed in the NUTRAOLEUM human study using an oil-based delivery format.

### Is maslinic acid safe to take as a supplement?

Preclinical data indicate a low toxicity profile: 50 mg/kg/day orally for 28 days in rodents caused no observable adverse effects, body weight changes, or organ toxicity, and a dose that increased mouse brain weight by 11% showed no signs of neurotoxicity. However, formal human safety trials have not been published, no maximum tolerable dose in humans has been established, and its activity as an MRP1 efflux transporter inhibitor raises a theoretical interaction concern with certain chemotherapy drugs; supplemental use is currently investigational and should be approached with caution, particularly in pregnant individuals or those on pharmaceutical medications.

### What foods contain maslinic acid naturally?

Maslinic acid is found predominantly in olive leaves and olive oil, particularly in extra virgin varieties where it concentrates in the polyphenol fraction. Olives themselves contain lower levels, but regular consumption of olive leaf extracts or high-quality olive oil can provide dietary sources of this compound. However, the amount from food sources is typically much lower than what is used in supplement or research studies.

### Is maslinic acid safe to take with blood pressure or diabetes medications?

While maslinic acid has shown anti-inflammatory and NF-κB inhibitory properties in cell studies, there is limited clinical data on its interactions with antihypertensive or antidiabetic drugs. Individuals taking medications for blood pressure or blood sugar control should consult a healthcare provider before adding maslinic acid supplements, as the compound's bioactive effects could theoretically potentiate medication action. No major adverse interaction studies have been published in human populations.

### How does maslinic acid compare to other olive polyphenols like oleuropein or hydroxytyrosol?

Maslinic acid is a pentacyclic triterpene distinct from other olive phenolic compounds like oleuropein (a secoiridoid) and hydroxytyrosol (a phenolic alcohol) in both chemical structure and mechanism of action. Maslinic acid's primary activity centers on ROS-mediated apoptosis and NF-κB inhibition in cancer cell lines, whereas oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol are better characterized for antioxidant and cardiovascular benefits. The three compounds often coexist in olive leaf extracts but show different potency profiles depending on the cell type or tissue being studied.

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