PROCESSING OF OLIVE FRUIT FOR ENHANCEMENT OF CAROTENOID LEVEL IN VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

Virgin olive oil (VOO) is one of the main components of the Mediterranean diet and is related to protection against cardiovascular diseases and cancer due to its fatty acid profile and the presence of minor constituents.
Among them, this oil is a rich source of carotenoids.
This class of compounds together with chlorophyll pigments are responsible for the colour of this product.
Main carotenoids in VOO are ß-carotene and lutein.
In order to increase the level of these carotenoids in VOO, different approaches were studied such as heat treatments of olive fruits before processing and increases in milling temperature during the process to obtain the oil.
Data showed that the latter is the best procedure to enhance the level of carotenoids in oil, especially from green fruits, giving rise to around five-fold increases of the current carotenoid levels for crushing temperatures of 40–60ºC. The effect of these treatments on the level of the other pigments was quite similar and pointed out to the involvement of a co-oxidation mechanism by free radicals as responsible for this effect.
Thus, the participation of lipoxygenase activity in carotenoid degradation during olive fruit process to obtain VOO is discussed.

I International Symposium on Human Health Effects of Fruits and Vegetables

C. Sanz, P. Luaces, A.G. Pérez

Olea europaea, virgin olive oil, carotenoids, heat treatment, lipoxygenase

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2007.744.42