Fourteenth International Conference on Food Studies

Abstract

Virgin olive oil (VOO) plays a crucial role in the Mediterranean diet. However, its susceptibility to oxidation and alteration in quality attributes underscores the need for the incorporation of antioxidants to improve its oxidative stability. The present research aims to green enrich the VOO with bioactive compounds from Calamintha nepeta. The enrichment was carried out following central composite design using maceration process of variable VOO volumes, C. nepeta amounts, and interval times. The total phenolics (TP) and total flavonoids (TF) contents as well as the antioxidant activity of the enriched oil were estimated before and after the heating process at 180°C during 30 min. The results show that the enriched VOO prior to the heating process displayed total phenolic (TP) amounts ranging from 74.13 ± 12.96 to 132.51 ± 4.37 μgEAG/mL, while total flavonoid (TF) contents ranged from 107.64 ± 3.28 to 122.86 ± 8.30 μgEQ/mL, with the highest antiradical activity recorded at 49.5 ± 0.70%. However, the heating process resulted in a reduction in the bioactive features of VOO, with TP decreasing by 71.13% to 96.65% and TF by 24.09% to 54.50%. Conversely, antiradical potency remained stable, ranging from 44.50% to 56.50%. C. nepeta demonstrates potential as a rich bioresource for green enhancing of oxidative stability of VOO.