HPLC-MS/MS Phenolic Characterization of Olive Pomace Extracts Obtained Using an Innovative Mechanical Approach

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Green Chemistry
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Olive pomace, a byproduct of olive oil production, poses environmental challenges.
• It is rich in phenolic compounds with significant health benefits.
• Current extraction methods often use non-food-grade solvents.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an innovative and sustainable method for extracting phenolic compounds from fresh olive pomace.
• To characterize the hydroalcoholic extracts and evaluate their shelf-life.
• To explore the valorization of olive pomace within a circular economy framework.

Main Methods:

• Extraction of phenolic compounds using a food-grade solvent.
• Quantification of total reducing molecules via the Folin-Ciocâlteu method.
• Identification and quantification of 42 phenolic compounds using HPLC-MS/MS analysis.
• Shelf-life evaluation through instrumental and sensory analysis.

Main Results:

• The developed hydroalcoholic extraction method effectively recovered phenolic compounds.
• HPLC-MS/MS analysis identified and quantified 42 compounds across five chemical families.
• The hydroalcoholic extracts demonstrated good stability, with no significant reduction in phenolic content during shelf-life evaluation.
• Sensory evaluation did not detect negative attributes in the extracts.

Conclusions:

• The lab-scale results demonstrate a viable, sustainable approach for extracting valuable phenolic compounds from olive pomace.
• The stable hydroalcoholic extracts hold potential for industrial applications and contribute to valorization strategies in a circular economy.
• This research paves the way for developing scalable procedures suitable for olive mills, fostering new business models.