Olive pomace oil can improve blood lipid profile: a randomized, blind, crossover, controlled clinical trial in healthy and at-risk volunteers

In vivo evidences of the health-promoting properties of bioactive compounds obtained from olive by-products and their use as food ingredient

Olea europaea L. is the source of virgin olive oil (VOO). During its extraction, a high amount of by-products (pomace, mill wastewaters, leaves, stones, and seeds) is originated, which possess an environmental problem. If the generation of waste cannot be prevented, its economic value must be recovered and its effects on the environment and climate change must be avoided or minimized. The bioactive compounds (e.g., phenols, pectins, peptides) of these by-product fractions are being investigated as nutraceutical due to the beneficial properties it might have. In this review, the aim is to summarize the in vivo studies carried out in animals and humans with bioactive compounds exclusively obtained from olive by-products, aiming to demonstrate the potential health benefits these products can exert, as well as to describe its use in the food industry as bioactive ingredient. Several food matrices have been fortified with olive by-products fractions, leading to an improvement of properties. Animal and human studies suggest the benefits of ingesting olive-derived products to promote health. However, the investigation until now is scarce and consequently, well-designed human studies are required in order to fully address and confirm the safety and health-promoting properties of olive oil by-products.

Development and Physico-Chemical Characterization of Healthy Puff Pastry Margarines Made from Olive-Pomace Oil

Due to its characteristic aroma and flavor, puff pastry (PP) prepared with butter is more accepted than that made with margarine, yet a high saturated fat consumption is associated with cardiovascular disease. This work studies the potential of olive-pomace oil (OPO) as main ingredient of PP margarines together with different organogelator agents to imitate the technological properties of a commercial fatty preparation (CFP). Rheological and textural properties were measured in all formulated margarines (FM) and, additionally, thermal and microstructural properties, and fatty acid (FA) profiles were analyzed in some selected FM. The different FM had viscous modulus (G″) and loss factor (tan δ) values lower than those of CFP, thus reflecting a different viscoelasticity and plasticity. The crystallization and melting temperatures of FM were also different from those of CFP, indicating the presence of a dissimilar polymorphic fat-crystal structure. Nevertheless, the FM containing an oleogel prepared with 5% beeswax and OPO was more similar to CFP. The FA profile of CFP and FM, with 80% polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and 60% oleic acid, is healthier than that of a PP commercial butter (CB), evidencing that, although improvements in margarine plasticity are still necessary, OPO is technologically viable to produce healthier PP margarines.