Antioxidant properties of Edremit variety green olives (Olea europea L.)

Abstract

In the past decade, there has been a renewed interest in studyinga wide variety of food sources that show beneficial effects onhuman health. Olea europea L. an important agricultural crop,not only because its economic importance, but also for the nutri-tional values, mainly due to the fact that they are an excellentsource of antioxidant compounds, and also of specific constitu-ents such as the oleuropein in the mesocarp and seed. This cur-rent study was designed to evaluate the antioxidant capacity andtotal phenolic contents from Edremit variety olives at greenmaturity stage. The antioxidant capacity of olive was directlyrelated to the total amount of phenolic compounds detected.Therefore, three crude extracts obtained from methanol andwater extractions, were used in order to evaluate the antioxidantactivities of green olives. Following extractions, total phenol con-tents, DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and DMPD (N,N-dimethyl-p-phenylenediamine radical cation) were determined forantioxidant activity. Ethanol extracts of olive samples showedthe strongest total antioxidant capacity using both the (DPPH)and the (DMPD) methods. In addition, all values obtained fromdifferent extracts were compared to each other.