Antioxidant Properties and Fatty Acid Profile of Cretan Extra Virgin Bioolive Oils: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Olive oil is considered a valuable ingredient of human diet. It is a good source of mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids, as well as other bioactive compounds, especially polyphenols. The composition of olive oil depends mainly on the variety of plant, cultivation practices, and manufacturing conditions. Traditional processing methods may ensure better quality and health benefits. Therefore, the aim of the study was the evaluation of antioxidant properties and fatty acid profile of Cretan extra virgin bioolive oils. These ones were compared with commercial Spanish, Italian, and Greek extra virgin olive oils. Obtained results showed that sample Cretan 1 had about 15% higher antioxidant capacity and about 60% higher total polyphenol content than commercial counterparts. This one had also a favorable profile of fatty acids, especially 20% more linoleic acid. We concluded that traditional production methods, using millstones, cold pressing, and without centrifugation and filtration ensure better olive oil quality and related health benefits.

Antioxidant Profile and Sensory Analysis in Olive Oils of Different Quality Grades

“…These samples had also significantly similar TPC values (1.85 and 1.80 mg GAE/g, respectively). Our findings are in agreement with those of Nowak et al [21] where a positive correlation between the antioxidant activity (determined by ABTS •+ assay) and the concentration of total polyphenols was observed. Also, in relation to sensorial characteristics, the analysis of variance found that no significant differences for "bitter" and "pungent" were found for samples A and D (Table 2).…”

“…The total run time was approximately 50 min. The identification of the peaks was performed by comparing the corresponding retention times to those of several standards and quantified as a percentage of the total fatty acids [21].…”

“…In most of the literature, studies reported fatty acid composition has a great influence on the health benefits of extra virgin olive oil [21,33]. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has also evidenced that unsaturated fatty acids, mainly monounsaturated, help to keep LDL cholesterol at low concentrations in the blood [13].…”

Mediterranean-Type Diets as a Protective Factor for Asthma and Atopy

“…In parallel, food consumption patterns have changed during the last 50 years in most regions, including Crete [31], with adaptation to Westernized dietary patterns, leading to a poor MedDi quality index [32][33][34]. The cardinal feature of a Mediterranean-type diet, olive oil, however, still serves as the principal source of dietary fat in Crete, as in many Mediterranean regions, providing the precious monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and polyphenols [35,36].…”

Compostos bioativos presentes no azeite de oliva e seus subprodutos: revisão bibliográfica

“…Parâmetros químicos também foram analisados em azeites de oliva virgem grego, em que os achados demonstraram características especiais de amostras de quatro cultivares e sua diferenciação botânica bem sucedida com base na composição de ácidos graxos (Revelou et al, 2021). Em Creta foram avaliadas propriedades antioxidantes e do perfil de ácidos graxos bioativos de azeites extra virgem em comparação com os espanhóis, italianos e gregos comerciais, onde perceberam que a amostra 1 de Creta tinha capacidade antioxidante cerca de 15% maior e teor de polifenol total cerca de 60% maior do que os azeites de oliva extra virgem espanhóis, italianos e gregos, demonstrando também composição favorável de ácidos graxos, principalmente linoléico e αlinolênico, já a amostra 2 de Creta não diferiu significativamente de gregas comerciais (Nowak, et al, 2021).…”