`Award for Research on Role of Olive Oil in Breast Cancer Prevention - Olive Oil Times

Award for Research on Role of Olive Oil in Breast Cancer Prevention

By Charlie Higgins
Nov. 27, 2011 18:20 UTC

Researchers at the University of Jaén have become the first to win Castillo de Canena’s Luis Vaño Olive Oil Research Prize awarded to the best olive or olive oil-related research study in Spain.

The study, titled “ The Influence of Minor Components Present in Virgin Olive Oils In The Prevention of Breast Cancer: In Vitro Study of Hydroxytyrosol and Tyrosol,” was con­ducted by José Juan Gaforio, Fernando Warleta and Cristina Sánchez of the University’s Department of Immunology.

We have stud­ied the effects of four com­pounds present in the olive skin; ery­thro­diol, ovaol, maslinic acid and oleano­lic aci­don with human breast can­cer cells and the results show that the com­pounds have the poten­tial to pro­vide a nat­ural defense against breast can­cer,” researchers noted.

In a unan­i­mous deci­sion, the awards com­mit­tee chose the project from among eight other research projects. The win­ners will receive €6,000 ($7,984) in prize money. The University of Jaén will pub­lish their work in a mono­graph.
José J. Gaforio, Immunology Division, Department of Health Sciences, University of Jaén
.
The results of this research has an impor­tant social and eco­nomic impact on Spanish soci­ety. Highlighting the healthy prop­er­ties of olive oil is an ele­ment of the first order to encour­age their use in other coun­tries,” Gaforio told Science Watch.

Family-run olive oil com­pany Castillo de Canena spon­sored the award to encour­age and stim­u­late sci­en­tific research and tech­no­log­i­cal knowl­edge of olives and olive oils. The award was named in honor of Luis Vañó, pres­i­dent of Castillo de Canena and of the Spanish Arab Bank.

The award cer­e­mony will be held on December 2 at the Castillo de Canena estate in Jaén.



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