Metabolomic Profiling of Phenolic Compounds in Brazilian-Grown Olive Leaf Infusions and Ultrasound-Assisted Extracts
4 affiliations
- 1Laboratory of Physiopathology and Biochemistry of Nutrition, Nutrition Institute, Rio de Janeiro State University, Rio de Janeiro 20550-013, Brazil
- 2Department of Soil, Plant and Food Sciences, Food Science and Technology Unit, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Via Amendola, 165/A, I-70126 Bari, Italy
- 3National Institute of Science and Technology for Structural Biology and Bioimaging, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil
- 4D’Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro 22281-100, Brazil
Abstract
Olive leaves, an abundant agro-industrial by-product, represent a valuable source of phenolic compounds. Cultivars grown in Brazil remain underexplored at the metabolomic level, particularly regarding strategies for their valorization. Extraction methods, such as ultrasound-assisted extraction and infusion, offer distinct pathways for utilizing this by-product. This study aimed to characterize the phenolic metabolome (UHPLC-DAD-MS/MS) and antioxidant activity (ABTS and DPPH assays) of olive leaves from two cultivars grown in Brazil (Coratina and Picual), comparing ultrasound-assisted extracts and infusion. Multivariate analyses (principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering) were applied to evaluate sample discrimination and correlations between phenols and antioxidant activity (Spearman). The phenolic profile was complex, dominated by secoiridoids and including flavonoids, and was more efficiently recovered by ultrasound-assisted extraction. A clear distinction was observed between extraction methods and cultivars, with differences mainly attributed to the relative abundance of medium- and low-abundance metabolites. Correlation analysis indicated positive associations between multiple phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity, suggesting a synergistic effect driven by the overall metabolic profile. These findings provide novel metabolomic insights into olive leaves from Brazilian-grown cultivars and demonstrate that extraction strategy plays a key role in their valorization. Ultrasound-assisted extraction maximizes compound recovery, whereas infusions represent an accessible home-based method for enhancing antioxidant intake.
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BibTeX
@article{pessoa2026metabolomic,
title = {{Metabolomic Profiling of Phenolic Compounds in Brazilian-Grown Olive Leaf Infusions and Ultrasound-Assisted Extracts}},
author = {Heloisa Rodrigues Pessoa and Graziana Difonzo and Mariana Miccolis and Antonella Pasqualone and Francesco Caponio and Jerson Lima Silva and Lilia Zago and Danielly C. Ferraz da Costa},
journal = {Molecules},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/molecules31203740},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/31/20/3740},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Metabolomic Profiling of Phenolic Compounds in Brazilian-Grown Olive Leaf Infusions and Ultrasound-Assisted Extracts
AU - Heloisa Rodrigues Pessoa
AU - Graziana Difonzo
AU - Mariana Miccolis
AU - Antonella Pasqualone
AU - Francesco Caponio
AU - Jerson Lima Silva
AU - Lilia Zago
AU - Danielly C. Ferraz da Costa
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - Molecules
DO - 10.3390/molecules31203740
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/31/20/3740
AB - Olive leaves, an abundant agro-industrial by-product, represent a valuable source of phenolic compounds. Cultivars grown in Brazil remain underexplored at the metabolomic level, particularly regarding strategies for their valorization. Extraction methods, such as ultrasound-assisted extraction and infusion, offer distinct pathways for utilizing this by-product. This study aimed to characterize the phenolic metabolome (UHPLC-DAD-MS/MS) and antioxidant activity (ABTS and DPPH assays) of olive leaves from two cultivars grown in Brazil (Coratina and Picual), comparing ultrasound-assisted extracts and infusion. Multivariate analyses (principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering) were applied to evaluate sample discrimination and correlations between phenols and antioxidant activity (Spearman). The phenolic profile was complex, dominated by secoiridoids and including flavonoids, and was more efficiently recovered by ultrasound-assisted extraction. A clear distinction was observed between extraction methods and cultivars, with differences mainly attributed to the relative abundance of medium- and low-abundance metabolites. Correlation analysis indicated positive associations between multiple phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity, suggesting a synergistic effect driven by the overall metabolic profile. These findings provide novel metabolomic insights into olive leaves from Brazilian-grown cultivars and demonstrate that extraction strategy plays a key role in their valorization. Ultrasound-assisted extraction maximizes compound recovery, whereas infusions represent an accessible home-based method for enhancing antioxidant intake.
SN - 1420-3049
ER -