The effect of repeated consumption of virgin olive oil on endogenous phenolic metabolites of fasting plasma is unknown. For this reason, we hypothesized that regular long-term virgin olive oil intake could have an indirect protection effect on the endogenous phenols. Thus, the aim of the study was to determine the phenolic profile of human plasma in a fasting state of long-term regular virgin o...

Consumption of olive oil within the Mediterranean diet has been long known to have many health benefits. However, only over the last decade has epidemiological research confirmed its protective role against developing several chronic diseases. The objective of this review was to give an overview of the state of art epidemiological evidence concerning the relationship between olive oil and key p...

In order to investigate the influence of fatty acid pattern and antioxidants other than vitamin E on lipid peroxidation and antioxidant levels of plasma very low density and low density lipoproteins (VLDL + LDL), the effects of three diets (equalized for vitamin E) containing soybean oil, olive oil, or an oleate-rich mixture of triglycerides (triolein) were studied in rats. A significantly lowe...

BACKGROUND Osteoporosis, a reduction in bone mineral density, represents the most common metabolic bone disease. Postmenopausal women are particularly susceptible to osteoporosis when their production of estrogen declines. For these women, fracture is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. This study was conducted to evaluate the protective effects of olive oil supplementation against oste...

BACKGROUND & AIMS The incidence of osteoporotic fractures is lower in countries in the Mediterranean basin. Virgin olive oil, a key component of the Mediterranean Diet (MDiet), with recognised beneficial effects on metabolism and cardiovascular health, may decrease the risk of osteoporotic fractures. The aim to this study was to explore the effect of chronic consumption of total olive oil and i...

An investigation to optimize the extraction yield and the radical scavenging activity from the agricultural by-product olive tree wood (Olea europaea L., cultivar Picual) using six different extraction protocols was carried out. Four olive wood samples from different geographical origin, and harvesting time have been used for comparison purposes. Among the fifty olive wood extracts obtained in ...

Differences in pest management of olive orchards may affect the development of olive trees and may be reflected in terms of absolute and relative asymmetry, mass, and quality of the leaves. Leaf mass and residual leaf mass of olive trees were significantly greater under organic management than other pest management regimes. The analysis revealed that leaves from trees under different pest manag...

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) is a premium product that can command a higher price than “standard” olive oils. This makes it highly susceptible to fraudulent activity. A report by the E.U. Committee on the Environment, Public Health, and Food Safety says olive oil is among the products most prone to food fraud. There were 267 oil adulteration incidents reported to the U.S. Pharmaceutical Food F...

Olive cultivation is affected by a wide range of biotic constraints. Verticillium wilt of olive is one of the most devastating diseases affecting this woody crop, inflicting major economic losses in many areas, particularly within the Mediterranean Basin. Little is known about gene-expression changes during plant infection by Verticillium dahliae of woody plants such as olive. A complete RNA-se...

CHD is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Remarkably, CHD is largely preventable, as unhealthy lifestyles (smoking, lack of exercise and poor dietary habits) contribute to nearly 80 % of population-attributable risk. Among these lifestyle components, diet has been well studied. After decades of epidemiological, clinical and experimental research, an impressive body of scientific...