engleski

Olive oil as a natural source of phenolic compounds

In comparison to other plant-derived oils, extra-virgin olive oil production includes only mechanical processes without any refining, and due to its specific chemical composition olive oils are already recognized as a natural functional food. Beside well-balanced fatty acid profile, the presence of minor constituents, such as phenolics, tocopherols and sterols, is found to be responsible for its health benefits. Olive oil chemical composition is affected by a great number of factors among which the most important are cultivar, environmental conditions, crop management, maturity stage of the fruit and oil extraction conditions. Olive oils can be differentiated from other vegetable oils due to its specific phenolic composition and high content of phenolics (50-1000 mg/kg). The major phenolics in olives and olive oils are phenolic alcohols (hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol), phenolic acids, secoiridoids, flavonoids, lignans, etc. As these compounds affect the organoleptic characteristics of the oil and increase its oxidative stability, their extraction and preservation is crucial for the overall quality of the final products.

olive oil ; minor components ; phenolic compounds ; biologically active constituents

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