Nutritional profile and nutraceutical components of olive (Olea europaea L.) seeds

Olive seeds, a potential food by-product from both table olive and olive oil industries, were examined for their overall proximate composition, oil, protein, mineral and phenolic components. Proximate analysis indicates that olive seeds are an unusually rich source of total dietary fibre ( approximately equal to 47% dry weight basis, DWB), as well as lipids ( approximately equal to 30%) and proteins ( approximately equal to 17%). Oil composition shows high levels of oleic ( approximately equal to 62% of total fatty acids) and linoleic ( approximately equal to 24%) acids, moderate concentrations of tocopherols ( approximately equal to 460 mg/kg) and squalene ( approximately equal to 194 mg/kg), and relatively high amounts of several sterols and non-steroidal triterpenoids. Olive seed proteins are a rich source of essential amino acids (about 46% of the total AA content). Olive seeds also contain significant amounts of some essential macro-elements (K, Ca, Mg, Na, P) and micro-elements (Zn, Mn, Cu). Phenolic compounds are present at relatively high quantities ( approximately equal to 2.8 mg/g seed, DWB); the most abundant belong to the group of secoiridoid compounds (elenolic acid derivatives) including oleuropein and structurally related substances (demethyloleuropein and ligstroside), and nuzhenide derivatives. Based on the general nutritional profile and nutraceutical components, olive seeds have value-added potential as a source of edible oil, proteins or meal serving as feed supplements.