Quality, composition and antioxidant activity of Algerian wild olive (Olea europaea L. subsp Oleaster) oil

Wild olive trees, also called oleasters, are largely distributed all around the Mediterranean basin. The objective of this study was to evaluate the quality, the composition and the antioxidant activity of four Algerian oleaster oils in comparison to an extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) reference. Three of the four oleaster oils exhibited a composition in accordance to the extra virgin oil category. The total phenol, ortho-diphenol and tocopherol contents were equal to higher in the oleaster oils, than in the EVOO reference. Moreover, all the oleaster oils exhibited higher antioxidant properties than the EVOO reference. Interestingly, the phenolic composition of the oleaster oils differed greatly between samples. Two compounds usually not described in olive oil were identified, namely eriodictyol and naringenin. Principal component analysis (PCA) applied to tocopherol and phenolic compounds showed clear variability between oil samples. Taken together, these results highlight the high potential of oleaster oil as a phytochemical resource, a possible alternative food and a genetic resource to improve the olive oil quality. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.