• Oleuropein is a compound that has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties.
• The initiative focuses on the extraction of oleuropein from olive leaves.
• The project promotes the circular economy by revaluing plant waste for use in the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries.

The Andalusian company Azcatec , dedicated to engineering for the development of industrial, environmental, and energy plants, has been working for the agro-industrial sector for almost 30 years. Among its latest initiatives, it has promoted the GO OLE project , with a clear sustainable focus, which seeks to revalue the byproducts generated in olive groves. Thanks to the use of ecological solvents, the project has successfully extracted oleuropein —a phenolic compound with multiple benefits—from previously dried and pulverized olive leaves.

The process for obtaining oleuropein takes place under controlled conditions of temperature, time, and agitation. The extract is then filtered, purified, and concentrated until a usable sample of the compound is obtained. With this result, Azcatec presents a sustainable and innovative solution to add value to one of the most abundant plant waste products left by the olive sector, thus promoting the circular economy .

Benefits

Moderate consumption of oleuropein, obtained from olive leaves—which is also found, to a lesser extent, in olives and oil—has several positive health properties , as demonstrated by various studies:

• It is an antioxidant , with effects similar to those of vitamin E and, in some cases, superior to those of vitamin C.
• It is anti-inflammatory , it can prevent diseases such as arthritis or other similar ones.
• It is antimicrobial , capable of fighting infections and strengthening the immune system.
• It helps the cardiovascular system , reducing blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and preventing diseases such as arteriosclerosis.
• It offers protection against neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's.

The characteristics of this compound mean it has multiple applications in industries such as pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, while also respecting the environment.

Results

The project was developed in Azcatec's laboratories, where its viability was demonstrated through a pilot plant . However, it is not yet complete. According to Andrés García Zamora of Azcatec's R&D department: "The goal is to advance the extraction of oleuropein with NADES (Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents)." Therefore, the company does not intend to commercialize products made using this technique, despite its applicability in various economic sectors.

Participants and funding

Acesur and the University of Seville also collaborated on this project . Regarding its financing, GO OLE has been subsidized by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) by the Andalusian Regional Government through the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Sustainable Development . It is part of the European Partnership for Productivity and Sustainability (AEI-Agri) Operational Groups' support program.