Valorization of Olive Stones: Chemical Composition and Bioactivity.

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Food Science
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Increasing olive oil consumption generates substantial by-products like olive stones.
• Sustainable management and valorization of olive stones are gaining importance.
• Understanding the chemical composition and biological potential of olive stone extracts is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the chemical composition and biological potential of olive stone extracts.
• To compare conventional and eco-friendly extraction methods.
• To explore valorization strategies for olive industry by-products.

Main Methods:

• Extraction of olive stone compounds using Soxhlet, Folch, and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) methods with various solvents.
• Chemical characterization of fatty acid profiles (GC-FID) and phenolic compounds (HPLC-DAD-MS/MS).
• Evaluation of antioxidant activity (ORAC, HOSC), cytotoxicity, and antiproliferative effects.

Main Results:

• n-Hexane Soxhlet extract showed higher fatty acid content than chloroform-methanol Folch extract.
• MAE yielded diverse phenolic compounds, including flavonoids, secoiridoids, and hydroxytyrosol.
• Hydroalcoholic MAE extracts exhibited significant antioxidant activity and selective antiproliferative effects against colon cancer cells (HT-29) with low cytotoxicity to normal cells (Caco-2).

Conclusions:

• Olive stones are a valuable source of bioactive compounds with significant antioxidant and selective antiproliferative properties.
• MAE is an effective method for extracting beneficial compounds from olive stones.
• These findings support the development of sustainable valorization strategies for olive industry by-products.