Quality Assessment and Biological Activity Evaluation of Different Brands of Olive Oil

Background: The quality of medicinal/food products is directly related to the consumer’s safety. Virgin Olive Oil (VOO) is a widely used oil in Saudi Arabia for cooking, frying, and salad dressing. It is also an ingredient of many pharmaceutical products. Therefore, its regular quality assessment is essential for the consumer’s safety.

Objective: To assess standard quality parameters of the marketed VOO brands in the Rafha City of Saudi Arabia and to perform their antioxidant activity evaluation.

Methodology: The different brands of VOO sold in the Rafha City of Saudi Arabia were collected from two supermarkets and one local shop. The quality of the different brands of the VOO was assessed for their physical appearance, solubility, relative density, refractive index, absorbance, acid value, and peroxide value. The standard procedures provided in the British Pharmacopeia (BP) were used to assess these parameters. The antioxidant activity of the oils was performed by the 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method.

Results: The VOO sample test results revealed no significant change in the studied parameter's standard values. The VOO samples presented compliance with the specification of VOO provided in the BP. The VOOs were also free of Sesame oil, which is one of the possible adulterants of the VOO. The antioxidant activity data of the VOO samples (IC50 = 107 to 110 mg oil) also matched with antioxidant activity data of the reference VOO (IC50 = 105 mg oil). The antimicrobial activity of the VOO samples and the reference VOO was also comparable.

Conclusion: The different brands of the marketed VOO comply with the specification of VOO provided in the BP. They were suitable for their intended use/application.