Application of Olive Oil as Nutraceutical and Pharmaceutical Food: Composition and Biofunctional Constituents and Their Roles in Functionality, Therapeutic, and Nutraceutical Properties

Abstract Plant phenolic compounds are indicated to play an important role in promoting human health because of their varied bioactivities, such as potent antioxidant and antiinflammatory properties that could reduce the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular, and cancer diseases. Olive oil is a main important food component in Mediterranean dishes, which are linked to inferior risk of cardiovascular, diabetes, hypertension, and cancer diseases. Virgin olive oil has received extensive study for its potential health benefits due to its high content of monounsaturated fatty acids and bioactive phenolic compounds. This review describes the chemistry and interactions of bioactive components from olive oil, predominantly the lipid, phenolics, and their derivatives constituents. The major roles of extracted bioactive compounds from olive oil in food and the nutraceutical industry are reviewed, including their biofunctional, nutritional, and nutraceutical characteristics. The current state of research regarding methods of phenolic extractions from olives and olive oil and their methods of analysis is also discussed.