Project description
Revealing extra virgin olive oil’s health benefits
The Mediterranean Diet (MD) heavily relies on olive oil, particularly Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO), for its health benefits. However, the full potential of EVOO's beneficial properties, specifically its phenolic compounds (PCs), is not fully realised due to potential loss during food processing. This leads to diminished health benefits, such as reduced protection against oxidative damage to blood lipids and lessened inhibition of pro-oxidant species formation. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) programme, the Phenols4Health project aims to assess the transfer of PCs into various foods cooked with EVOO and their ability to inhibit dietary advanced glycation end-products (dAGEs). It will use advanced liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). This study offers potential economic benefits to the olive oil industry.
Objective
Olive oil is the main fat source in the Mediterranean Diet (MD). The healthy properties of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) are associated with a balanced composition between major and minor compounds. Among the minor fraction, phenolic compounds (PCs) stand out in terms of their health promoting properties. PCs are responsible for the only specific health claim for olive oil, recognized by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), indicating that PCs in olive oil contribute to the protection of blood lipids against oxidative damage. Furthermore, due to their antioxidant capability, PCs are anticipated to exert inhibitory effects on the formation of pro-oxidant species, including advanced glycation end-products (AGEs), which play a pivotal role in oxidative stress and inflammation-related pathologies. Phenols4Health aims to elucidate the health benefits of foods processed in EVOO through the transference of PCs and their potential to inhibit the formation of dietary AGEs (dAGEs). A comprehensive investigation will be conducted to assess the transference of EVOOs' PCs into foods of diverse compositions. This proposal will also explore the influence of the PCs' profile in blocking the formation of AGEs in foods processed with EVOO. Finally, the study will evaluate the profile of AGEs in serum samples collected from individuals adhering to a MD supplemented with EVOO and a low-fat diet. The methodology required for Phenols4Health is based on the use of liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for determination of the targeted species. The outcomes of this proposal hold the potential to make a profound impact at scientific, societal, and economic levels. By advancing the understanding of EVOO's health-enhancing properties and its role in inhibiting the formation of dAGEs, Phenols4Health will contribute to food science, nutrition, chemistry, and health fields, while fostering economic opportunities within the olive oil industry.
Fields of science
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.
- engineering and technologyother engineering and technologiesfood technology
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculeslipids
- medical and health scienceshealth sciencesnutrition
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicinepathology
- natural scienceschemical sciencesanalytical chemistrymass spectrometry
Keywords
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Main Programme
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European FellowshipsCoordinator
14005 Cordoba
Spain