Search results for "extra virgin olive oil"
showing 10 items of 11 documents
EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL IMPROVES LEARNING AND MEMORY IN SAMP8 MICE
2011
Abstract. Polyphenols are potent antioxidants found in extra virgin olive oil (EVOO); antioxidants have been shown to reverse age- and disease-related learning and memory deficits. We examined the effects of EVOO on learning and memory in SAMP8 mice, an age-related learning/memory impairment model associated with increased amyloid- protein and brain oxidative damage. We administered EVOO, coconut oil, or butter to 11 month old SAMP8 mice for 6 weeks. Mice were tested in T-maze foot shock avoidance and one-trial novel object recognition with a 24 h delay. Mice which received EVOO had improved acquisition in the T-maze and spent more time with the novel object in one-trial novel object recogni…
Influence of O2 on extra virgin olive oil fatty acids composition during malaxation
2017
Many variables are related to extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) quality and, therefore, to its polyphenols content and fatty acids composition including the steps that lead to EVOO extraction, considering that it is mainly contained in the vacuoles of the fruit mesocarp. The main steps of EVOO production are: harvest, crushing, malaxation, centrifugation, storage and filtration. Considering the olive oil extraction procedures, many studies have been conducted in recent years on oil mill plant and processes for improving EVOO quality. Malaxer is the most studied machine among all; it is responsible for malaxation, which represents a very important and critical step in the EVOO extraction process…
Effects of the foal at the milking and dietary supplementation with extra virgin olive oil on jennet milk production
2009
The effects of the foal at the milking and the extra virgin olive oil supplementation in the diet, on the milk obtained by 12 Ragusana jennets were studied. The jennets were each fed 3.5+1.5 kg/d of concentrate+bran, and hay ad libitum. They were divided into 2 equal groups with one group receiving an additional dietary supplement of 100 ml/d of olive oil. Milk was collected at day 20 post foal- ing and every 15-18 d for 5 times. At each collection period jennets were milked 4-times per day. At 07:30 h foals were separated from the jennets and after a 4 hour interval were milked manually (1MNF;1st milking, foal absent). At the end of the 1MNF, each jennet was milked again, with the foals ke…
Classification of extra virgin olive oils according to their geographical origin using phenolic compound profiles obtained by capillary electrochroma…
2009
Abstract A simple and reliable method for the evaluation of the phenolic fraction of extra virgin olive oils (EVOO) by capillary electrochromatography (CEC) with UV–Vis detection, using lauryl acrylate (LA) ester-based monolithic columns, has been developed. The percentages of the porogenic solvents in the polymerization mixture, and the mobile phase composition, were optimized. The optimum monolith was obtained with a monomers/porogens ratio of 40:60% (wt/wt) using a LA/1,3-butanediol diacrylate ratio of 70:30% (wt/wt) and a 1,4-butanediol/1-propanol ratio of 25:75% (wt/wt). A satisfactory resolution between the phenolic compounds was achieved in less than 25 min with a 15:85 (v/v) ACN–wat…
Bioactive compounds and quality of extra virgin olive oil
2020
Background: Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is responsible for a large part of many health benefits associated to Mediterranean diet as it is a fundamental ingredient of this diet. The peculiarities of this golden, highly valued product are in part due to the requirements that must be met to achieve this title, namely, it has to be obtained using exclusively mechanical procedures, its free acidity cannot be greater than 0.8%, it must not show sensory defects, and it has to possess a fruity taste. Methods: All these characteristics are key factors to EVOO quality, thus the chemical composition of these many health-promoting compounds, such as unsaturated fatty acids (which are also the major c…
Organic food consumption: The relevance of the health attribute
2020
During the last decades, organic food products have become the main sustainable alternative to conventional food consumption. Among the several organic food attributes that consumers recognize in organic food, healthiness has been reported as the primary motivation to buy products certified as organic. The objective of the current study is to assess the relative weight of the health attribute among other recognized organic food attributes. To achieve this aim, a multiple price list (MPL) methodology is adopted to elicit consumers&rsquo
Oxidation Processes in Sicilian Olive Oils Investigated by a Combination of Optical and EPR Spectroscopy
2012
: Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is recognized as one of the healthiest foods for its high content of antioxidants, which forestall and slow down radical formation. Free radical-initiated oxidation is considered one of the main causes of rancidity in fats and oils. As a consequence, reliable protocols for the investigation of oil oxidation based on selective, noninvasive, and fast methods are highly desirable. Here we report an experimental approach based on UV-Vis absorbance, steady-state fluorescence, and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy for studying oxidation processes induced by temperature for a period up to 35 d on Sicilian EVOO samples. We followed the decrease in β…
An oxygen monitoring and control system inside a malaxation machine to improve extra virgin olive oil quality
2013
In recent years, oxygen content regulation during malaxation has been noted as a process parameter. The aim of this study was to identify the optimal time during the malaxation process of the olives of the Sicilian cultivar Nocellara del Belice when the presence of oxygen in the machine headspace activates the enzyme complex in favour of the volatile compounds, without compromising the phenolic composition. During the malaxation process, the atmosphere inside the malaxation machine was modified by blowing pure oxygen from cylinders at specific stages of the process (i.e., 5, 15, 25, and 35 min after the start of malaxation), using a system that allows the automatic and continuous maintenanc…
Effects of variety and olive ripeness on nutritional quality and oxidative stability of extra virgin olive oils
2004
The composition and the stability to oxidative reactions of Italian extra virgin olive oils, in relation to olive varieties and ripeness, have been studied. Nutritional quality has been evaluated comparing nutrient contents with the recommended daily intake for the Italian population. Oxidative vulnerability has been studied following three different approaches: i) a predictive approach (calculation of the degree of antioxidant protection or DAP index); ii) a descriptive approach (loss of some natural antioxidants during storage); iii) a confirmatory approach (oven test method). This study demonstrated that the olive variety and ripeness degree are important determinants of the nutritional …
The clinical impact of an extra virgin olive oil enriched mediterranean diet on metabolic syndrome: Lights and shadows of a nutraceutical approach
2022
For years it has been established that the only truly effective treatment of metabolic syndrome (MS) is lifestyle modification to prevent its cardiovascular (e.g., coronary artery disease and atherosclerosis), metabolic (e.g., diabetes mellitus), and hepatic (e.g., steatosis and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis) complications. The focal points of this approach are to increase physical activity and intake of a diet characterized by high quantities of fruits, vegetables, grains, fish, and low-fat dairy products, the so called mediterranean diet (MD); however, the added value of MD is the presence of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), a healthy food with a high content of monounsaturated fatty acids,…