Journal Article Epublish
PubMed: 40807387 DOI: 10.3390/molecules30153212
From Waste to Resource: Chemical Characterization of Olive Oil Industry By-Products for Sustainable Applications.
Molecules 30(15)
Authors: Maria de Lurdes Roque, Claudia Botelho, Ana Novo Barros
Affiliations
- Centre for the Research and Technology of Argo-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), Institute for Innovation, Capacity Building and Sustainability of Agri-Food Production (Inov4Agro), University of TrĂ¡s-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal.
- Centro de Estudos de CiĂªncia Animal (CECA), Instituto de CiĂªncias, Tecnologias e Agroambiente da Universidade do Porto (ICETA), Rua D. Manuel II, Apartado 55142, 4051-401 Porto, Portugal.
- Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Science (AL4AnimalS), 1300-477 Lisbon, Portugal.
Abstract
The olive oil industry, a key component of Southern Europe's agricultural sector, generates large amounts of by-products during processing, including olive leaves, branches, stones, and seeds. In the context of growing environmental concerns and limited natural resources-particularly in the Mediterranean regions-there is increasing interest in circular economy approaches that promote the valorization of agricultural residues. These by-products are rich in bioactive compounds, particularly phenolics such as oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol, which are well known for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. This study aimed to evaluate the phenolic content and antioxidant capacity of by-products from three olive cultivars using high-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection (HPLC-PDA) and mass spectrometry (MS). The leaves and seeds, particularly from the "Cobrança" and a non-identified variety, presented the highest antioxidant activity, as well as the highest concentration of phenolic compounds, demonstrating once again the direct relationship between these two parameters. The identification of the compounds present demonstrated that the leaves and branches have a high diversity of phenolic compounds, particularly secoiridoids, flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, phenylethanoids, and lignans. An inverse relationship was observed between the chlorophyll and carotenoid content and the antioxidant activity, suggesting that phenolic compounds, rather than pigments, are the major contributors to antioxidant properties. Therefore, the by-products of the olive oil industry are a valuable source of sustainable bioactive compounds for distinct industrial sectors, such as the food, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical industries, aligning with the European strategies for resource efficiency and waste reduction in the agri-food industries.
MeSH
Seeds, Olive Oil, Food, Antioxidants