Antioxidant Properties of Various Olive Cultivars

Abstract

Virgin olive oil is a typical component of the Mediterranean diet, consumed unrefined and rich in important molecules, such as minor polar compounds (tyrosol, ferulic acid and caffeic acid). These molecules not only influence the sensorial properties of both olives and virgin olive but they are also important markers for cultivar identification, biodiversity and quality determination of this product. In this study, levels of phenolics, that have antioxidant activity, such as α-tocopherol, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, and tyrosol, have been determined using HPLC. This research examined the phenolic fraction of virgin olive oil samples of five different olive (Olea europaea L.) cultivar grown in the region of Akhisar, Turkey. The cultivar Uslu has been found to contain the highest levels of these compunds. The qualitative and quantitative HPLC analyses of the extracts showed that α-tocopherol was the most abundant compound (from 6.35 mg/kg to 33.7 mg/kg).