HPLC-MS SCREENING OF THE ANTIOXIDANT PROFILE OF ITALIAN OLIVE CULTIVARS

Freeze-dried olive fruits from Italian cultivars such as Carolea, Cassanese, and Coratina were analyzed by HPLC-MS. During different stages of maturation of olive fruits, the biophenolic (antioxidant) composition was examined. Twelve biophenolic compounds, viz. hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol, oleoside 11-methyl ester, demethyloleuropein, verbascoside, demethylligstoside, oleacin, oleuropeindiale, demethyloleuropeindiale, oleuropein, ligstroside, and elenolate were identified by HPLC-MS. Oleuropein, the major olive fruit soluble biophenolic fraction, decreased significantly during fruit maturation and showed significant differences between olive cultivars. Coratina drupes extracted from October month contained a higher amount of biophenols than other mono-cultivar extracted drupes.