Polyphenol Content in Argentinean Commercial Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Olive oil polyphenols are unique among all polyphenols, the only ones approved to claim health benefits. Since 2012, the European Commission has authorized the use of the claim "olive oil contributes to the protection of blood lipids from oxidative stress" only for those oils containing at least 5 mg of hydroxytyrosol and its derivatives (e.g., oleuropein complex and tyrosol) per 20 g of olive oil. Therefore, in order to examine the health attributes of olive oil from Argentinean producers in relation to that claimed effect, the content of hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol and their secoiridoid derivatives in commercial extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is evaluated. For this purpose, a simple and reliable methodology for the quantification of tyrosol and hydroxytyrosol by HPLC after hydrolysis of EVOO polar fraction, which leads to the release of hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol moieties from their conjugated forms has been implemented and validated. Two of the eleven analyzed EVOOs reach the polyphenol concentration required to use the above-mentioned health claim if the mass differences between hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol, and their conjugated forms are considered in the calculation of their content. This study provides a current landscape of the polyphenol content in EVOOs produced in Argentina that can be helpful for the producers and also for the consumers, in the light of the health claim approved by the European Commission. Practical Applications: Applying a new validated simple and reliable methodology, only 2 of 11 analyzed commercial Argentinean EVOOs present the hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol, and their conjugated form concentrations, according to the requirement to claim such a health effect, such as prevention of LDL oxidation. Thus, Argentinean olive oil producers can be encouraged to upgrade their production regarding to polyphenol contents. The content of Htyr and its derivatives in commercial olive oil available at the local Cordoba - Argentine market is determined, using a simple and reliable methodology based on HPLC. Since the daily consume of 20 g of olive oil containing at least 5 mg of these compounds has been established to prevent oxidation of LDL, the obtained data give information about the accessibility to olive oil with such healthy properties for Argentine consumers.