Over the years, health challenges have become increasingly complex and global and, at the beginning of the 21st century, chronic diseases, including cardiovascular, neurological, and chronic respiratory diseases, as well as cancer and diabetes, have been identified by World Health Organization as one of the biggest threats to human health. Recently, antimicrobial resistance has also emerged as a growing problem of public health for the management of infectious diseases. In this scenario, the exploration of natural products as supplementation or alternative therapeutic options is acquiring great importance, and, among them, the olive tree, Olea europaea L, specifically leaves, fruits, and oil, has been increasingly investigated for its health promoting properties. Traditionally, these properties have been largely attributed to the high concentration of monounsaturated fatty acids, although, in recent years, beneficial effects have also been associated to other components, particularly polyphenols. Among them, the most interesting group is represented by Olea europaea L secoiridoids, comprising oleuropein, oleocanthal, oleacein, and ligstroside, which display anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, cardioprotective, neuroprotective and anticancer activities. This review provides an overview of the multiple health beneficial effects, the molecular mechanisms, and the potential applications of secoiridoids from Olea europaea L.

多年来，健康挑战变得日益复杂和全球性，在21世纪初，慢性病，包括心血管、神经和慢性呼吸系统疾病，以及癌症和糖尿病，已被世界卫生组织确定为对人类健康的最大威胁之一。最近，抗菌素耐药性也成为传染病管理中日益严重的公共卫生问题。在这种情况下，探索天然产品作为补充或替代治疗选择变得非常重要，其中，橄榄树（ Olea europaea L），特别是叶子、果实和油，因其促进健康的特性而受到越来越多的研究。传统上，这些特性很大程度上归因于高浓度的单不饱和脂肪酸，尽管近年来，有益效果也与其他成分（特别是多酚）有关。其中，最令人感兴趣的一组是以油橄榄苷（Olea europaea L secoiridoids）为代表，包含橄榄苦苷、油橄榄苷、油酸苷和藁本苷，具有抗炎、抗氧化、心脏保护、神经保护和抗癌活性。本综述概述了油橄榄中的环烯醚萜类化合物的多种健康益处、分子机制和潜在应用。