Health Effects of Phenolic Compounds Found in Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, By-Products, and Leaf of Olea europaea L.
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.
['Romani|Annalisa|A|', 'Ieri|Francesca|F|', 'Urciuoli|Silvia|S|', 'Noce|Annalisa|A|0000-0003-1310-3730', 'Marrone|Giulia|G|0000-0002-5854-2086', 'Nediani|Chiara|C|0000-0003-3190-3539', 'Bernini|Roberta|R|0000-0002-2548-3876']
D000818:Animals D000072001:Diet, Healthy D038441:Diet, Mediterranean D005511:Food Handling D005638:Fruit D006801:Humans D009752:Nutritional Status D009753:Nutritive Value D031658:Olea D000069463:Olive Oil D010636:Phenols D018515:Plant Leaves D014866:Waste Products
health effects phenolic compounds extra-virgin olive oil Olea europaea L. hydroxytyrosol oleuropein oleocanthal lignans olive oil by-products circular economy olives leaf