Alejandra Bermúdez-Oria

The olive industry is experiencing significant growth, which is only held back by the environmental and management issues that its by-products can cause. The two most polluting effluents produced are a new aqueous phase, or ‘alpechín ’, obtained from alperujo, which is the most important waste generated in the olive oil industry, and brine in the table olive industry. The high organic and phytotoxic loads of both, together with the conductivity of the brines, make their reuse difficult and pose a real technological challenge owing to the environmental problems they cause. This study demonstrates that the application of thermo-malaxation (45–65 °C, 60–90 min) followed by three-phase centrifugation (>3500× g) allows the removal of the most active phenolics, including hydroxytyrosol, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylglycol, and tyrosol from the alperujo in a 30% solution, yielding a partially detoxified solid phase and a liquid phase rich in the most active phenolics. Furthermore, the application of an industrial chromatographic process (0.6 mm diameter rigid strong-cationic resins) enables the removal of between 50% and 75% of the phenolic load from the liquid fraction of the aforementioned system and from the brines of the table olive industry. The high antioxidant activity of the extracted phenolics was verified using in vitro assays.

The olive industry is experiencing significant growth, held back only by the environmental and management issues that its by-products can cause. The two most polluting effluents produced are a new aqueous phase or ‘alpechín’ in the olive oil industry, and brine in the table olive ones. The high organic and phytotoxic load of both, together with the conductivity of the brines, makes their reuse difficult and poses a real technological challenge due to the environmental problems they are causing. This study demonstrates that the application of thermo-malaxation followed by three-phase centrifugation allows the removal of most of the most active phenolics, including hydroxytyrosol, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylglycol and tyrosol—from the alperujo in a 30%, yielding a partially detoxified solid phase and a liquid phase rich in the most active phenolics. Furthermore, the application of an industrial chromatographic process enables the removal of between 50% and 75% of the phenolic load from the liquid fraction of the aforementioned system, as well as from the brines of the table olive industry. The high antioxidant activity of the extracted phenolics has also been verified through in vitro assays.

Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of death worldwide, highlighting the urgent need for novel therapeutic strategies. The Mediterranean diet is renowned for its cardiovascular benefits, largely attributed to extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) and its phenolic compounds, particularly hydroxytyrosol (HT). HT, a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent, has demonstrated significant therapeutic potential in mitigating myocardial damage following acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, there is a notable lack of published evidence regarding the effects of HT administration in the context of acute ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, making this study a novel contribution to the field. This study aimed to evaluate the cardioprotective effects of HT using the Langendorff technique in an isolated mouse heart ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) model. Mice were administered a single intraperitoneal dose of HT (10 mg/kg) 24 h prior to the I/R protocols, and parameters such as the infarct size, mitochondrial function, and redox balance were assessed. The results revealed a remarkable 57% reduction in infarct size in HT-treated mice compared to untreated controls. HT treatment also improved mitochondrial bioenergetics, as evidenced by the increased membrane potential (ΔΨm), enhanced oxygen consumption, and reduced hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) production. Furthermore, HT restored the activity of the mitochondrial respiratory complexes, notably Complex I, even under I/R conditions. These findings highlight the efficacy of HT in reducing oxidative stress and preserving mitochondrial function, critical factors in cardiac disease. In conclusion, HT emerges as a promising therapeutic agent for ischemic heart disease, demonstrating both preventive and restorative potential. Future research should explore its clinical applicability to advance cardiovascular disease management.

Olive mill wastewater (OMW), a byproduct of the olive oil industry, is a potential source of natural bioactive phenolic polymers. In this work, a column chromatography technique was used for the isolation of a new complex polymer (named OMW-2000XAD) from OMW via fractionation on Amberlite^® XAD16 resin. The developed procedure was simple and proved to be reproducible using OMW from two different sources. OMW-2000XAD was further characterized by elemental, glycosidic, and amino acid composition analysis, as well as spectroscopic techniques. The polymer’s molecular size, which was estimated via gel filtration chromatography, was 1960 kDa, which is significantly larger than other high-molecular weight fractions previously isolated from OMW or other agro-industrial wastes. OMW-2000XAD was mainly composed of phenolic compounds (89.8%). It also contained polysaccharides (16.1%) and proteins (10.3%), with glucose (12.25%) and cysteine (1.71%) being the most abundant sugar and amino acid, respectively, as well as metals (1.29%, primarily potassium). However, due to its low solubility, complexity, and heterogeneous composition, it was not possible to identify all phenolic compounds or elucidate a definitive structure via MS, FTIR, and NMR. OMW-2000XAD exhibited strong radical scavenging antioxidant capacity (ABTS^•+, DPPH^• and peroxyl radicals), with results up to 7415 µmol Trolox equivalent/mol (ORAC method), but showed no antiproliferative effects, highlighting the need for further research.

BACKGROUND: The inhibition of carbohydrate‐digesting enzymes, α‐glucosidase and α‐amylase, is a key strategy in managing postprandial hyperglycemia in type 2 diabetes. Natural phenolic compounds isolated from olive mill by‐product (alperujo), such as hydroxytyrosol (HT) and trans‐p‐coumaroyl secologanoside (comselogoside, COM), have shown potential in this regard. However, the individual effect of the 3,4‐dihydroxyphenylglycol (DHPG), another potent phenolic antioxidant naturally found in olive fruit with the same ortho‐diphenolic structure as HT, but with an additional hydroxyl group in the β position, and their combination with HT and COM on these enzymes remain underexplored.RESULTS: The present study evaluated the inhibitory effects of HT, DHPG and COM on α‐glucosidase and α‐amylase. DHPG exhibited the strongest inhibition of α‐glucosidase (IC₅₀ = 288.2 μm), comparable to the anti‐diabetic drug acarbose (IC₅₀ = 281.9 μm), whereas HT and COM showed moderate activity. Binary combinations of HT and DHPG (1:1) displayed synergistic inhibition of both enzymes, significantly enhancing their efficacy. Conversely, DHPG and COM combinations resulted in antagonistic effects on α‐amylase inhibition, although they showed a significant inhibitory effect on α‐glucosidase (IC₅₀ = 100.7 μm).CONCLUSION: These findings highlight the potential of phenolic compounds derived from olive oil by‐products as natural alternatives for postprandial glucose control. The synergistic interactions between specific compounds suggest an enhanced therapeutic effect that could be used for diabetes management. Further studies are needed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying these interactions and assess their in vivo efficacy. © 2025 The Author(s). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Olive mill wastewater (OMW) is an effluent of olive oil production industry that can be a potential source of natural bioactive phenolic polymers. Among others, natural phenolic polymers have agriculture, environmental, food research and human health applications. In this work, column chromatography technique was used for the isolation of a new complex phenolic polymer (named OMW-2000XAD) conjugated with polysaccharides and proteins from OMW by fractionation on Amberlite® XAD16 polymeric adsorbent resin. The procedure developed in this study to isolate OMW-2000XAD is simple and it has proven to be reproducible using OMW from different origins. OMW-2000XAD was further characterized by elemental composition analysis, glycosidic and amino acid composition, acid and basic hydrolysis, mass spectrometry and spectroscopic techniques. The molecular size of the polymer determined by gel filtration chromatography is in the range between 1500-2000 kDa significantly above another phenolic polymers and high-molecular weight complex fractions recovered from OMW or other wastes generated by agro-food industries. OMW-2000XAD is composed mainly of phenolic compounds linked polysaccharides (16.1%) and proteins (10.3%). However, due to its extraordinary complexity and highly heterogeneous composition it was not possible to identify all present compounds either to elucidate a definitive structure. Finally, OMW-2000XAD exhibited antioxidant capacity scavenging of radicals (ABTS•+, DPPH• and peroxyl radicals), but not antiproliferative effects, which raise interest in further research.

This research explores the health-promoting properties of the pectin–polyphenol complex extracted from alperujo, a by-product of olive oil production. This study investigates the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of the extracts, revealing their high antioxidant activity in vitro. Cell viability assays conducted on colon carcinoma cells (Caco-2) demonstrate the inhibitory effect of the extracts on cell proliferation. However, the extracts do not affect the viability of differentiated Caco-2 cells, suggesting a selective antiproliferative action. Additionally, the extracts reduce intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitrite (NO) production in LPS-stimulated murine peritoneal macrophages. Furthermore, the extracts exhibit anti-inflammatory effects by downregulating the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 in these macrophages. These findings highlight the potential of pectin–polyphenol complexes as functional ingredients with significant health benefits, demonstrating antioxidant, antiproliferative, and anti-inflammatory properties.

Sperm cryopreservation is a fundamental tool for the conservation of avian genetic resources; however, avian spermatozoa are susceptible to this process. To cope with the high production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), the addition of exogenous antioxidants is beneficial. Pectoliv30 is a substance derived from alperujo, and in this study, its effect was analyzed on seminal quality after its addition to the cryopreservation extender of roosters at different concentrations. For this purpose, 16 Utrerana breed roosters were used, and seminal collection was performed in six replicates, creating a pool for each working day with ejaculates of quality. After cryopreservation, one sample per treatment and replicate was thawed, and several seminal quality parameters were evaluated. Statistical analysis revealed numerous correlations between these variables, both positive and negative according to the correlation matrix obtained. Furthermore, the chi-squared automatic interaction detection (CHAID) decision tree (DT) reported significant differences in the hypo-osmotic swelling test (HOST) variable between groups. Moreover, results for this parameter were more desirable at high concentrations of Pectoliv30. The application of this substance extracted from the by-product alperujo as an antioxidant allows the improvement of the post-thawing seminal quality in roosters and facilitates optimization of the cryopreservation process as a way to improve the conservation programs of different endangered poultry breeds.