About this Research Topic
The olive industry in the Mediterranean and Latin American countries is of great importance from an agricultural, social, and economic point of view. Olive extracts obtained from oil, fruit, leaves, wood, or residues are responsible for numerous health benefits, such as the reduction of chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes or the prevention of cardiovascular diseases and cancer. These effects are due, at least in part, to the large amount of antioxidants present in olive products, especially polyphenols (phenolic acid, flavonoids, lignans, secoiridoid derivatives), carotenoids (xanthophyll and β-carotene), chlorophylls, pheophytins, and α-tocopherol (vitamin E), as they improve the oxidative stress produced by free radicals and consequent cell damage. Therefore, the scientific community focuses the potential of these compounds on their more than proven biological properties as antioxidants, anticarcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, phytoregulatory, and many others, and on their application in the food, phytosanitary, nutraceutical, and cosmetic industries.
The olive industry, oil and table olive, produces millions of tons of highly polluting waste every year around the world. In terms of volume generated, we must highlight the alperujo, which is a semi-solid with a high percentage of humidity produced in the two-phase extraction system of olive oil. And, on the other hand, brines, coming from the treatments required to produce table olives. To make use of these by-products and minimize the environmental impact, the current trend includes different treatments that increase the availability of bioactive components, such as thermal treatments, microwave-assisted extraction, or enzymatic digestion, among others. In this way, the accessibility and concentration of these compounds is improved, so that after a subsequent purification phase, they can be obtained for use in different sectors of the industry, such as food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, etc. But first, it is necessary to study their biological properties in order to establish the potential of these compounds and even to improve them through the search for synergisms and new formulations.
We welcome Original Research, Review, Mini Review and Perspective articles on themes including, but not limited to:
- Obtaining bioactive compounds from olive industry by-products.
- Study of the biological properties of the bioactive components of olives.
- Formulation of new foods and functional ingredients from olive by-products.
- Improvement of the functionality of phenolic compounds or carbohydrates obtained in the olive industry.
- New advances in the application of pretreatments that improve the management of olive by-products.
The olive industry, oil and table olive, produces millions of tons of highly polluting waste every year around the world. In terms of volume generated, we must highlight the alperujo, which is a semi-solid with a high percentage of humidity produced in the two-phase extraction system of olive oil. And, on the other hand, brines, coming from the treatments required to produce table olives. To make use of these by-products and minimize the environmental impact, the current trend includes different treatments that increase the availability of bioactive components, such as thermal treatments, microwave-assisted extraction, or enzymatic digestion, among others. In this way, the accessibility and concentration of these compounds is improved, so that after a subsequent purification phase, they can be obtained for use in different sectors of the industry, such as food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, etc. But first, it is necessary to study their biological properties in order to establish the potential of these compounds and even to improve them through the search for synergisms and new formulations.
We welcome Original Research, Review, Mini Review and Perspective articles on themes including, but not limited to:
- Obtaining bioactive compounds from olive industry by-products.
- Study of the biological properties of the bioactive components of olives.
- Formulation of new foods and functional ingredients from olive by-products.
- Improvement of the functionality of phenolic compounds or carbohydrates obtained in the olive industry.
- New advances in the application of pretreatments that improve the management of olive by-products.
Keywords: Olive, by-product, phenolics, pectins, soluble fiber, bioactivity
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
