Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Comprehensive Analysis of Polyphenols in 55 Extra Virgin Olive Oils by HPLC-ECD and Their Correlation with Antioxidant Activities

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Plant Foods for Human Nutrition Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this study, we analyzed eight phenolic compounds (tyrosol, hydroxytyrosol, oleuropein, pinoresinol, and caffeic, ferulic, vanillic, and p-coumaric acid) in 55 mono- and multivarietal extra virgin olive oil samples by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to a coulometric electrochemical array detector (ECD). The phenolic profile of olive oil samples differed depending on the geographical origin and olive variety. The total reducing capacity (total phenolics) of olive oils ranged from about 40 to 530 mg gallic acid equivalents/kg oil. Tyrosol, hydroxytyrosol and pinoresinol were the most abundant phenolic compounds in olive oils. The antioxidant capacity of the olive oil extracts was determined by ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) assays. Total reducing capacity was significatly correlated with FRAP (R 2 = 0.91, p < 0.001) and TEAC (R 2 = 0.92, p < 0.001) values. Total reducing capacity, TEAC and FRAP values were significantly correlated with tyrosol, hydroxytyrosol as well as oleuropein concentrations. Hydroxytyrosol, comprising over 40 % of total olive oil phenolics, mainly contributed to the antioxidant activity of olive oils. The present study provides a comprehensive database of polyphenols in olive oils from 9 different countries and four continents.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Turner R, Etiene N, Garcia-Alonso M, De Pascual-Teresa S, Minihane AM, Weinberg PD, Rimbach G (2005) Antioxidant and anti-atherogenic activities of olive oil phenolics. Int J Vitam Nutr Res 75:61–70

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Bogani P, Galli C, Villa M, Visioli F (2007) Postprandial anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of extra virgin olive oil. Atherosclerosis 190:181–186

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Visioli F, Galli C (2000) Olive oil: More than just oleic acid. Am J Clin Nutr 72:853–856

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Gill CIR, Boyd A, McDermott E, McCann M, Servili M, Selvaggini R, Taticchi A, Esposto S, Montedoro G, McGlynn H, Rowland I (2005) Potential anti-cancer effects of virgin olive oil phenols on colorectal carcinogenesis models in vitro. Int J Cancer 117:1–7

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Rigacci S, Guidotti V, Bucciantina M, Parri M, Nediani C, Cerbai E, Stefani M, Berti A (2010) Oleuropein aglycon prevents cytotoxic amyloid aggregation of human amylin. J Nutr Biochem 21:726–735

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Schaffer S, Podstawa M, Visioli F, Bogani P, Muller WE, Eckert GP (2007) Hydroxytyrosol-rich olive mill wastewater extract protects brain cells in vitro and ex vivo. J Agric Food Chem 55:5043–5049

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Bayram B, Ozcelik B, Grimm S, Roeder T, Schrader C, Ernst IMA, Wagner AE, Grune T, Frank J, Rimbach G (2012) A diet rich in olive oil phenolics reduces oxidative stress in the heart of SAMP8 mice by induction of Nrf2-dependent gene expression. Rejuvenation Res 15:71–81

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Gutierrez-Rosales F, Rios JJ, Gomez-Rey ML (2003) Main polyphenols in the bitter taste of virgin olive oil structural confirmation by on-line high-performance liquid chromatography electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. J Agric Food Chem 51:6021–6025

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Baccouri O, Guerfel M, Baccouri B, Cerretani L, Bendini A, Lercker G, Zarrouk M, Ben Miled DD (2008) Chemical composition and oxidative stability of Tunisian monovarietal virgin olive oils with regard to fruit ripening. Food Chem 109:743–754

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Delgado C, Guinard JX (2011) Sensory properties of Californian and imported extra virgin olive oils. J Food Sci 76:170–176

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Servili M, Selvaggini R, Esposto S, Taticchi A, Montedoro G, Morozzi G (2004) Health and sensory properties of virgin olive oil hydrophilic phenols: Agronomic and technological aspects of production that affect their occurrence in the oil. J Chromatogr A 1054:113–127

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Tsimidou M, Papadopoulos G, Boskou D (1992) Determination of phenolic compounds in virgin olive oil by reversed-phase HPLC with emphasis on UV detection. Food Chem 44:53–60

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Pirisi FM, Angioni A, Cabras P, Garau VL, di Teulada MTS, dos Santos MK, Bandino G (1997) Phenolic compounds in virgin olive oils I. Low-wavelength quantitative determination of complex phenols by high-performance liquid chromatography under isocratic elution. J Chromatogr A 768:207–213

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Brenes M, Garcia A, Garcia P, Garrido A (2000) Rapid and complete extraction of phenols from olive oil and determination by means of a coulometric electrode array system. J Agric Food Chem 48:5178–5183

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Suárez M, Macià A, Romero MP, Motilva MJ (2008) Improved liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method for the determination of phenolic compounds in virgin olive oil. J Chromatogr A 1214:90–99

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Garcia-Villalba R, Pacchiarotta T, Carrasco-Pancorbo A, Segura-Carretero A, Fernández-Gutiérrez A, Deelder AM, Mayborod OA (2011) Gas chromatography-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry for profiling of phenolic compounds in extra virgin olive oil. J Chromatogr A 1218:959–971

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Bonoli M, Bendini A, Cerretani L, Lercker G, Toschi T (2004) Qualitative and semiquantitative analysis of phenolic compounds in extra virgin olive oils as a function of the ripening degree of olive fruits by different analytical techniques. J Agric Food Chem 52:7026–7032

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Christophoridou S, Dais P, Tseng LH, Spraul M (2005) Separation and identification of phenolic compounds in olive oil by coupling high-performance liquid chromatography with postcolumn solid-phase extraction to nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (LC-SPE-NMR). J Agric Food Chem 53:4667–4679

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Montedoro GF, Servili M, Baldioli M, Selvaggini R, Miniati E, Macchioni A (1993) Simple and hydrolyzable compounds in virgin olive oil. Spectroscopic characterizations of the secoiridoid derivatives. J Agric Food Chem 41:2228–2234

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Svendsen CN (1993) Multi-electrode array detectors in high-performance liquid chromatography: A new dimension in electrochemical analysis. Analyst 118:123–129

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Aaby K, Skrede G, Wrolstad RE (2005) Phenolic composition and antioxidant activities in flesh and achenes of strawberries (Fragaria ananassa). J Agric Food Chem 53:4032–4040

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Xu X, Yu L, Chen G (2006) Determination of flavonoids in Portulaca oleracea L by capillary electrophoresis with electrochemical detection. J Pharm Biomed Anal 41:493–499

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. International Olive Oil Council (2009) Determination of biophenols in olive oils by HPLC. COI/T.20/Doc No 29

  24. International Olive Oil Council (2006) Colorimetric determination of o-diphenols in olive oils. RES-4/94-V/2006 (Revision 20 November 2009)

  25. Mateos R, Espartero JL, Trujillo M, Rios JJ, Leon-Camacho M, Alcudia F, Cert A (2001) Determination of phenols, flavones and lignans in virgin olive oils by solid phase extraction and high performance liquid chromatography with diode array ultraviolet detection. J Agric Food Chem 49:2185–2192

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Singleton VL, Orthofer R, Lamuela-Raventós RM (1999) Analysis of total phenols and other oxidation substrates and antioxidants by means of Folin Ciocalteu reagent. Meth Enzymol 299:152–178

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Benzie IF, Strain JJ (1996) The ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) as a measure of “antioxidant power”: The FRAP assay. Anal Biochem 239:70–76

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Re R, Pellegrini N, Proteggente A, Pannala A, Yang M, Rice-Evans C (1999) Antioxidant activity applying an improved ABTS radical cation decolorization assay. Free Radic Biol Med 26:1231–1237

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Achilli G, Cellerino GP, Hamache PH (1993) Identification and determination of phenolic constituents in natural beverages and plant extracts by means of a coulometric electrode array system. J Chromatogr A 632:111–117

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Tovar MJ, Motilva MJ, Romero MP (2001) Changes in the phenolic composition of virgin olive oil from young trees (Olea europaea L cv Arbequina) grown under linear irrigation strategies. J Agric Food Chem 49:5502–5508

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Andjelkovic M, Van Camp J, Pedra M, Renders K, Socaciu C, Verhé R (2008) Correlations of the phenolic compounds and the phenolic content in some Spanish and French olive oils. J Agric Food Chem 56:5181–5187

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Loru D, Incani A, Deiana M, Corona G, Atzeri A, Melis MP, Rosa A, Dessì MA (2009) Protective effect of hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol against oxidative stress in kidney cells. Toxicol Ind Health 25:301–310

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Rietjens SJ, Bast A, de Vente J, Haenen GRMM (2007) The olive oil antioxidant hydroxytyrosol efficiently protects against the oxidative stress-induced impairment of the NO• response of isolated rat aorta. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 292:1931–1936

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Beltrán G, Jiménez A, Del Rio C, Sánchez S, Martínez L, Uceda M, Aguilera MP (2010) Variability of vitamin E in virgin olive oil by agronomical and genetic factors. J Food Compos Anal 23:633–639

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. National Research Council (2000) Recommended dietary allowances, 10th edn. National Academy Press, Washington

    Google Scholar 

  36. Esti M, Cinquanta L, La Notte E (1998) Phenolic compounds in different olive varieties. J Agric Food Chem 46:32–35

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Lee OH, Lee BY, Kim YC, Shetty K, Kim YC (2008) Radical scavenging-linked antioxidant activity of ethanolic extracts of diverse types of extra virgin olive oils. J Food Sci 73:519–525

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Pérez-Jiménez J, Neveu V, Vos F, Scalbert A (2010) A systematic analysis of the content of 502 polyphenols in 452 foods and beverages- An application of the Phenol-Explorer database. J Agric Food Chem 58:4959–4969

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgement

BB is supported by TUBITAK (The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Human Nutrition and Food Science, Christian-Albrechts-University, Hermann Rodewald-Strasse 6, 24098, Kiel, Germany

    Banu Bayram, Tuba Esatbeyoglu & Gerald Rimbach

  2. Institute of Food Chemistry, Technical University of Braunschweig, Schleinitzstrasse 20, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany

    Nicole Schulze

  3. Department of Food Engineering, Istanbul Technical University, 34469, Maslak, Istanbul, Turkey

    Banu Bayram & Beraat Ozcelik

  4. Institute of Biological Chemistry and Nutrition, University of Hohenheim, Garbenstrasse 30, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany

    Jan Frank

Authors
  1. Banu Bayram
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Tuba Esatbeyoglu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Nicole Schulze
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Beraat Ozcelik
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Jan Frank
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Gerald Rimbach
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gerald Rimbach.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Bayram, B., Esatbeyoglu, T., Schulze, N. et al. Comprehensive Analysis of Polyphenols in 55 Extra Virgin Olive Oils by HPLC-ECD and Their Correlation with Antioxidant Activities. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 67, 326–336 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11130-012-0315-z

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11130-012-0315-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation