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The cholesterol lowering effects of olive leaf extracts are thought to be due to oleuropein, a compound present in the leaves. Studies on hypercholesterolemic rats have shown that olive leaf extracts are more effective at lowering cholesterol than pure oleuropein. This implies that a synergistic effect occurs between oleuropein and another substance within the leaf ⁽⁷⁾. Oleuropein is converted into elenoic acid in the body which may prevent viruses and bacteria from replicating ⁽⁸⁾. The antihypertensive and vasodilating effects of olive leaf occurred independently of the integrity of the vascular endothelium ⁽⁹⁾. Constituents of olive leaf have been shown to strongly inhibit the complement system, although it is unknown what effect this has on the body ⁽¹⁰⁾. Hypoglycemic activities of olive leaf are attributed to two mechanisms: potentiation of glucose-induced insulin release and increased peripheral uptake of glucose. Hypoglycemic activity is greater in samples collected in the winter months ⁽²⁾. Olive leaf extract may prevent diabetic neuropathy by reducing glucose-induced apoptosis through the inhibition of neural caspase 3 activation⁽²⁰⁾. Olive leaf extract has been shown to be effective against the following microorganisms: E. coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, S. aureus, K. pneumoniae, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Microsporum canis, T. rubrum and Candida albicans ⁽³⁾. Anti-HIV properties of Olive leaf extract include up-regulation of the expression of apoptosis inhibitor proteins as well as protein kinase signaling molecules ⁽⁴⁾.Olive leaf extract promotes cell differentiation ⁽¹⁸⁾and induces DNA fragmentation leading to apoptosis in leukemia cell line⁽¹⁹⁾.