Bioactive compounds from extra virgin olive oils: Correlation between phenolic content and oxidative stress cell...

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Nutraceuticals
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is recognized for its nutritional value, largely attributed to its biophenolic compounds.
• These biophenols, though present in small quantities, significantly influence EVOO's sensory characteristics and possess potential health benefits.
• Biophenols are associated with protective effects against oxidative stress, inflammation, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and age-related ailments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To qualitatively and quantitatively identify the biophenolic content in Italian and Spanish EVOOs.
• To analyze the antioxidant capacity of these EVOOs using the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay.
• To investigate the correlation between specific biophenols and their ability to mitigate oxidative stress in a cellular model.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of biophenolic profiles in 51 Italian and Spanish EVOOs.
• Quantification of antioxidant activity using the ORAC assay.
• In vitro testing of selected biophenolic extracts on NIH-3T3 cells to assess oxidative stress recovery via DCFH-DA assay.

Main Results:

• A strong correlation was observed between the ORAC values and the concentration of ligstroside and oleuropein derivatives and their degradation products (hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol).
• The ability of biophenolic extracts to recover oxidative stress in NIH-3T3 cells showed a linear correlation with the concentration of ligstroside aglycone (aldehyde and hydroxyl forms).

Conclusions:

• The study highlights the critical role of specific biophenols, particularly ligstroside and oleuropein derivatives, in determining the antioxidant capacity of EVOO.
• These findings suggest that the concentration of ligstroside aglycone is a key factor in EVOO's ability to counteract cellular oxidative stress.
• EVOO biophenols represent a promising area for developing functional foods and nutraceuticals for health promotion.