Effect of irrigation applied to olive trees (Olea europaea L.) on phenolic compound transfer during olive oil extraction

The main objective of this research was to determine the extent to which irrigation practices affect the partitioning of phenolic compounds between olive paste, pomace, olive oil and wastewater. The current paper also aimed to study the effect of technological natural micro-talc (NMT) addition during the oil extraction process on the partitioning of the phenolic compounds between solid and liquid phases. The results obtained in this study showed that irrigation applied to olive trees let to a considerable decrease in the phenol content of the olive paste. The water status of the trees affected the phenol synthesis in the olive fruit, and consequently the phenol content of the olive paste, more than the partitioning of the phenolic compounds during the olive oil extraction process. The most remarkable point of the phenol partitioning was related to the simple phenols. While in the samples from non-irrigated trees the greater proportion of these phenols partitioned into the pomace, in samples from irrigated trees most of them were lost in the wastewater. After comparison of the results obtained from the experiments with and without NMT addition, it was concluded that the use of that co-adjuvant did not significantly alter either the phenolic profile of the oil phase obtained or the content of the individual phenolic compounds.