Evaluation of olive pomace as a source of phenolic antioxidants for the production of functional cosmetics

Olive pomace (OP), the solid by-product originating from the production of olive oil, was investigated as a potential source of phenolic compounds. Phenolic recovery was carried out using a multistage solvent extraction procedure. Different solvents, including water, acetone, ethyl acetate, ethanol and the 50:50 (v/v) ethanol–water mixture, were preliminarily screened for their extraction efficiency. Aqueous ethanol was the most effective solvent and was used toproduce phenolic extractsand evaluate the effects of OP stabilization by controlled drying. The optimal drying conditions were identified as: T = 120 °C and t = 1 h. Phenolic extracts produced from OP were incorporated in an amount of 0.5 to 3% by weight into a cosmetic base containing water, glycerin and liquid paraffin as main components. The antioxidant capacity of the resulting productsranged from 8.65 to 42.37 mg TE/mL, depending on the added amount of extract. Overall, the results of this study indicate that OPis a valuable source of phenolic compounds and support the possibility of using phenolic-richextracts to produce functional cosmetics with high antioxidant capacity. The recovery ofvalue-added compounds from OP could notonly provide economic benefits to olive oil producers but also contribute to reduce theenvironmental impact of the olive oil industry. © Research India Publications.