Olive oil's polyphenolic metabolites - from their influence on human health to their chemical synthesis

A growing number of scientific researches have been demonstrating that olive oil operates a crucial role on the prevention of cardiovascular and tumoral diseases, being related with low mortality and morbidity in populations that tend to follow a Mediterranean diet. Amongst its minor components, polyphenols have been subject to several clinical trials that have established health benefits associated to their antioxidant, antitumoral and antiatherosclerotic activity. However the biological activity of polyphenols is dependent not only of their absorption but also of their metabolization. Bioavailability studies have demonstrated that after olive oil intake, not only hydroxytyrosol but also its metabolites can be found in plasma, such as 3,4dihydroxyphenylacetaldehyde, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, homovanillyl alcohol and its glucoronides.