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Review
. 2019 Aug 1;11(8):1776.
doi: 10.3390/nu11081776.

Health Effects of Phenolic Compounds Found in Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, By-Products, and Leaf of Olea europaea L

Annalisa Romani  1 , Francesca Ieri  2 , Silvia Urciuoli  2 , Annalisa Noce  3 , Giulia Marrone  4   5 , Chiara Nediani  6 , Roberta Bernini  7
Affiliations
Review

Health Effects of Phenolic Compounds Found in Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, By-Products, and Leaf of Olea europaea L

Annalisa Romani et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Olea europaea L. fruit is a peculiar vegetal matrix containing high levels of fatty acids (98-99% of the total weight of extra-virgin olive oil, EVOO) and low quantities (1-2%) of phenolics, phytosterols, tocopherols, and squalene. Among these minor components, phenolics are relevant molecules for human health. This review is focused on their beneficial activity, in particular of hydroxytyrosol (HT), oleuropein (OLE), oleocanthal (OLC), and lignans found in EVOO, olive oil by-products and leaves. Specifically, the cardioprotective properties of the Mediterranean diet (MD) related to olive oil consumption, and the biological activities of polyphenols recovered from olive oil by-products and leaves were described. Recent European projects such as EPIC (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition) and EPICOR (long-term follow-up of antithrombotic management patterns in acute coronary syndrome patients) have demonstrated the functional and preventive activities of EVOO showing the relation both between cancer and nutrition and between consumption of EVOO, vegetables, and fruit and the incidence of coronary heart disease. The data reported in this review demonstrate that EVOO, one of the pillars of the MD, is the main product of Olea europaea L. fruits; leaves and by-products are secondary but precious products from which bioactive compounds can be recovered by green technologies and reused for food, agronomic, nutraceutical, and biomedical applications according to the circular economy strategy.

Keywords: Olea europaea L.; circular economy; extra-virgin olive oil; health effects; hydroxytyrosol; lignans; oleocanthal; oleuropein; olive oil by-products; olives leaf; phenolic compounds.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Chemical structure of the main phenolic compounds found in Olea europaea L.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Enzimatic conversion of oleuropein into hydroxytyrosol.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Circular economy platform based on green technologies, for the recovery of active molecules from olive leaf and processing by-products, useful in the food, nutraceutical, cosmetic, and biomedical fields.
Figure 4
Figure 4
EVOO and its cardioprotective action on the CV system. EVOO, Extra-virgin olive oil; HT, hydroxytyrosol; OxLDL, oxidized LDL; OS, oxidative stress.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Lipophilic HT derivatives.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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