EFFECT OF OLIVE OIL MILL WASTE WATERS AND THEIR MAIN POLYPHENOLS ON LEAF AND FRUIT ABSCISSION

In the perspective of recycling olive oil mill waste waters, known also as vegetation waters (V.W.), for application in agriculture, an investigation was carried out to study the biological effects of: V.W., their phenolic extract (P.E.), exhausted vegetation waters (E.V.W.) and two among the main polyphenols, obtained by the chromatographic purification of P.E.: hydroxytyrosol and 4-methylcatechol.
Periodic observations were carried out on cultivar "Frantoio" for determination of fruit removal force, fruit and leaf abscission.
Moreover the chemicals were analyzed for possible mutagenic activity using the micronucleous test on Allium cepa roots.

Fruit and leaf abscission differed according to compound and concentration.
In particular, hydroxytyrosol induced a positive effect on stone fruit abscission, while it did not appear to affect leaf drop.
However, results obtained from the micronucleus test showed that this compound could induce a mutagenic response, negatively influencing the functionality of mitotic apparatus.

II International Symposium on Olive Growing

S. Bartolini, R. Capasso, A. Evidente, F. Giorgelli, C. Vitagliano

olive, vegetation-waters, polyphenols, micronucleus, mutagenic

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1994.356.61