Extracts of leaves, fruits and seeds of olive tree cultivars of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (Portugal) were analysed by reverse phase HPLC with diode array detection and mass spectrometry (MS). This methodology allowed the identification of some common phenolic compounds, namely, verbascoside, rutin, luteolin-7-glucoside, oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol. Moreover the hyphenation of HPLC with MS enabled the identification of nüzhenide in olive seeds. An oleuropein glucoside was also detected in olive tree leaves. The total phenolic content was determined with the Folin Denis reagent and the total antioxidant activity with the ABTS method. There is a correlation between total antioxidant activity and total phenolic content with the exception of the seed extracts analysed. The apparent high antioxidant activity of seed extracts may be due to nüzhenide, a secoiridoid that is the major phenolic component of olive seeds. These results suggest a possible application of olive seeds as sources of natural antioxidants.

157studied, but variations in individual components of olive seeds were verified among the cultivars. The results also support the existence of di and tri(11-methyl oleosides) of nüzhenide.

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DAS‐ELISA was applied to the detection of cucumber mosaic cucumovirus (CMV) in tissues from olive trees of 25 cultivars in Portugal. The virus was detected in young leaves and roots of cuttings that had been hormone‐treated and subjected to rapid growth conditions in the glasshouse, and in fruits and leaves of field‐grown trees. Analysis by DAS‐ELISA of 222 samples revealed that approximately 10% were CMV‐infected and that some were also infected by another virus, strawberry latent ringspot nepovirus. The cultivars that were shown to be CMV‐positive were the following: Branquita, Cordovil de Serpa, Galega, Maçnilha Carrasquenha de Almendralejo, Maçnilha Fina, Madural, Negral de Calatayud, Negrinha, Picual and Redondil.

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