Researchers from the University of Jaén (UJA) and the Polytechnic Institute of Braganza (Portugal) collaborate in the characterization of new functional foods based on EVOOs, within the framework of the research project called "Obtaining, characterizing and applications of new functional foods based on olive oils enriched in new bioactive compounds ", developed by the FQM-337 group at the Escuela Politécnica Superior de Linares.

Precisely, members of the research team of the Polytechnic Institute of Braganza (IPB of Portugal) visited the EPS of Linares last week to hold the corresponding meetings to coordinate the results obtained in the collaboration project.

In this sense, the project is in a very advanced phase in which the physicochemical characterization of the functional oils that have been formulated during its development is being completed. Thus, oils enriched in different bioactive compounds (lutein, beta-carotene, violaxanthin, astaxanthin, etc.) are being studied at the IPB-Portugal, through the development of a pre-doctoral research stay by María del Carmen Murillo Cruz, belonging to this research group, which develops its work in the Laboratory of Physical and Analytical Chemistry at the EPS de Linares. During this predoctoral stay, parameters such as the composition of fatty acids, tocopherols and pigments, as well as the oxidative stability of the samples are being determined.

On the other hand, experiments are also being carried out using the new potentiometric electronic tongue methodology in which different organoleptic parameters are intended to be obtained through the corresponding automated sensors. “The objective is to obtain results that can complement traditional sensory tastings. The use of electronic language can be very useful in the initial screening of oils when the number of oils to be analyzed by sensory tasting is very high. This technology initially detects oils that have large organoleptic defects, reducing the number of samples that would go on to final sensory tastings. Additionally, the corresponding sensory tastings will be carried out by qualified personnel, which will allow evaluating consumer acceptance of the different oils obtained. Another parameter under evaluation is the antioxidant capacity of oils enriched with bioactive compounds and at the same time, the influence on their storage time is being evaluated, trying to know the influence on the date of preferential consumption by consumers ", has explained Professor Ruperto Bermejo, from the Department of Physical and Analytical Chemistry of the UAJ and responsible for the project.

These studies are intended to expand those previously carried out at the University of Jaén, in which a complete physicochemical characterization of all the control oils (without enrichment) and of the same oils enriched in the different bioactive compounds (essential quality chemical parameters has been carried out). such as free acidity, peroxide index, K₂₃₀ and K₂₇₀ spectroscopic parameters , P-anisidine value, etc…). The influence on the stability of EVOOs of parameters such as time, heating and radiation exposure has also been determined.

In this way, it is intended to put on the market a range of functional foods based on EVOOs enriched in bioactive compounds, trying to provide new options in the fight against diseases associated with the deficit of these compounds in the human body.

Source: Mercacei