Quantity and quality of secoiridoids and lignans in extra virgin olive oils: the effect of two- and three-way decanters on Leccino and Raggiola olive cultivars

In this investigation, 14 extra virgin olive oils (EVOOs), produced with Leccino and Raggiola olive cultivars, by a new two-way (2W) decanter were compared with 14 EVOOs produced by means of a conventional three-way (3W) decanter. The 2W EVOOs had higher phenol concentrations, as shown by high-performance liquid chromatography/diode array detection (HPLC-DAD) analysis and yielded a higher extraction of the 3,4-DHPEA-EDA (oleacein), 3,4-DHPEA-EA (oleuropein aglycone) and p-HPEA-EDA (oleocanthal). The concentrations of lignans, (+)-pinoresinol and (+)-1-acetoxypinoresinol, detected by HPLC-FLD equipment, were higher in the 2W EVOOs than they were in EVOOs produced using the 3W system. Total phenols, detected by the Folin-Ciocalteu assay, were lower than those obtained by HPLC, but they significantly correlated (p<0.05). The antioxidant capacity (ORAC) values of 2W EVOOs were higher than those of 3W EVOOs. In conclusion, the 2W system provided high-quality phenol EVOOs and became an indispensable tool when adverse climatic conditions reduced the olive secoiridoid concentration.