Research from the University of Genoa shows the possibility of enhancing cosmetics with the anti-aging properties of the polyphenols contained in olive oil waste. The study started from an innovative process for extracting polyphenols from the paste leftover after olives are pressed during oil production.
This process, which eliminates phenols, at the same time makes the olive oil waste more biodegradable, reducing its environmental impact. This is a step forward compared to previous studies aimed at extracting noble components from byproducts of the Mediterranean’s various characteristic agro-industrial products, like lycopene from tomato residue and polyphenols from olive oil lees.
The antioxidant virtues of polyphenols are desirable for a number of applications, from cosmetics to dietary supplements. Even more so after the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), with headquarters in Parma, provided scientific validation of the favourable role of the polyphenols present in olive oil – in particular hydroxytyrosol and oeluropein – in contrasting oxidative stress in cells.
