Phenolic Compounds from Iranian Olive Oil Processing Waste Water

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to screen the phenolic compounds extracted from olives grown in the regions of Roudbar and Tarom in Iran. The olive oil residues were tested for their composition in simple phenolic compounds, which are usually removed from olive oil at various stages of refining. Total phenolic compounds were extracted from oil samples and oil waste water and determined spectrophotometrically. The HPLC analysis showed that hydroxytyrosol, vanillic acid and tyrosol were the most abundant phenolic compounds in olive oil, but a substantial proportion of these compounds remains in the water phase generated during olive oil production as waste water.