olive oil phenolic compounds

Olive oil phenolics are a group of phenolic compounds measured in virgin olive oil. In a study targeting 100 extra virgin olive oils from 6 cultivars and multiple countries, 19 phenolic compounds were quantified, with total phenol content distributed in a range of approximately 52 to 315 mg GAE/kg. Among these, oleocanthal and oleacein were most abundant, with average amounts of 77.9 mg/kg and 41.8 mg/kg, respectively.

In sensory correlation analysis from the same study, the strongest among those reported was the correlation between bitterness and total phenol content, with a correlation coefficient of r = 0.72. As a clue to understanding olive oil bitterness from chemical composition, phenolics become a central focus in research on this oil's bitterness.

However, a correlation coefficient does not indicate causation, nor is it a universal measure applicable across all oil types. In a separate study, when olive oil polyphenol fractions were separated by RP-HPLC, nearly all fractions were described as bitter and astringent, whereas a single specific fraction — deacetoxy ligustroside aglycone — was described as distinctly pungent at the back of the throat. This suggests that the simple correlation of 「総フェノール量と苦味」 (in translation: “total phenol content and bitterness”) may be collapsing together qualitatively different oral sensations.