Valorisation of olive oil pomace extracts for a functional pear beverage formulation

Olive pomaces from Southern Italy autochthonous cultivars (Carolea, Nocellara and Roggianella) were eco-friendly extracted to reach value-added ingredients for the production of fortified pear beverages. Chemical composition of the extracts was carried out by 1H-NMR analysis, while antioxidant features were in vitro evaluated. The extracts displayed remarkable scavenger properties against DPPH (IC50 values in the range 0.051–0.171 mg mL−1) and ABTS (IC50 values in the range 0.035–0.047 mg mL−1) radical species. Reactive species in the extracts and inulin chains were involved in an eco-friendly radical process by grafting reaction to obtain macromolecular conjugates with outstanding antioxidant features, in terms of both antioxidant and scavenging performances, representing an attractive source in the design of functional foods. In this context, the conjugates were employed to enrich pear juice, to achieve reinforced beverages displaying remarkable antioxidant properties in comparison with its non-functional counterparts, as well as its maintenance over time (20 days).