Behavior of lipophilic bioactives during olive oil processing

Abstract

In the last few years, much attention has been paid to health effects of bioactive compounds in food products, their retention in the final product, accordingly optimization of food production design, and valorization of waste streams. One such food is olive oil, which contains hydrophilic, lipophilic, and amphiphilic bioactive compounds (phenols, squalene, phytosterols, tocopherols, etc.) having anticancer, anticholesterol, and antioxidant activities. These bioactives are distributed between the product and waste streams according to their solubility and mass transfer behavior and thermal stability during olive oil processing. This review focuses on the behavior of lipophilic bioactives, squalene, sterols, and tocopherols, during olive oil processing using a systematic approach. Herein their content in the olive fruit, distribution between its anatomic parts, and the effect of process methods and parameters on the lipophilic bioactive content of olive oil were reviewed. The loss of squalene, α‐tocopherol, and β‐sitosterol were calculated based on the process data available in the literature (19, 36, and 48%, respectively). Loss of β‐sitosterol and α‐tocopherol were higher than that of oil (2–20%) and squalene, which is explained considering the distribution of these compounds within the olive fruit and at the cellular level, and their interactions.Practical applications: Findings of this review, particularly the information on the distribution of these bioactive compounds between olive oil and waste streams as affected by process parameters can be used to maximize their retention in olive oil and their recovery from waste streams. It was shown that olive pomace might be a good source of β‐sitosterol with potential applications in food, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical sectors owing to its anticancer and cholesterol‐lowering activity. By considering the possible mechanisms of processing loss of β‐sitosterol and α‐tocopherol, as discussed in this review, new recovery techniques could be developed for these compounds.The behavior of lipophilic bioactives, squalene, sterols, and tocopherols, during olive oil processing is reviewed using a systematic approach. Processing loss of β‐sitosterol and α‐tocopherol are higher than that of oil and squalene, which is explained considering the distribution of these compounds within the olive fruit and at the cellular level, and their interactions. By considering the possible mechanisms of processing loss of β‐sitosterol and α‐tocopherol, new techniques could be developed to maximize their retention in olive oil and their recovery from waste streams.