Elaboration of extra-virgin olive oils rich in oleocanthal and oleacein: pilot plant’s proposal

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Extra-virgin olive oil is basically used in food, but it can also be used as a source of high added-value components, such as oleocanthal and oleacein. Oleocanthal and oleacein are bioactive compounds with proven activities in the treatment of various diseases. By applying response surface methodology, oils of the Arbequina, Arbosana, and Koroneiki cultivars of super-intensive olive trees have been elaborated, under both irrigation and rainfed conditions. 289 oils have been obtained and 13 parameters per oil determined, which have been grouped into 221 models, that determine extraction performance, quality, and minor components of oils. The maximum extractable olive oil with the current technology is 89.0 ± 3.9%, with the rest remaining in the pomace. Oleacein is the component that most influences the antioxidant capacity of oils; its activity is 5.85 ± 0.33 µmol Trolox/mg. Irrigated Arbequina produces very aromatic oils. Rainfed Arbequina produces less aromatic (18.5 mg/kg of volatile) but with a higher content of phenolic compounds (514.4 mg/kg) oils. Koroneiki produces oils with a very high content of phenolic compounds but low in volatiles. For Koroneiki, the factors that maximize phenolic compounds are: rainfed crops, mill with 4.5 mm sieve, and malaxation at 40 °C for 30 min (1307.2 mg/kg of phenolic compounds, witch 500.0 mg/kg of oleacein, and 174.3 mg/kg of oleocanthal). A method to extract oleocanthal and oleacein from olive oils is proposed, as a way to develop new strategies to improve their functional properties.