The white olive, a misunderstood variety of olive tree from Campania, Italy.

One of the most topical environmental issues that is also strongly linked to our survival as a living species is the reduction in plant as well as animal biodiversity that is making our Planet increasingly at risk of biological cataclysms. This cross-sectional study involving the Department of Agriculture with Professors Claudio Di Vaio and Raffaele Romano and the Food Chemistry Laboratory of the Department of Pharmacy directed by Professor Alberto Ritieni, wanted, where it was still necessary, to show how much the Campania region was an immense reserve of biodiversity and health compounds. In this case, to be the subject of the study, is olive growing, which, thanks to the pedo-climatic conditions of our territory and its varietal heritage, demonstrates the richness and quality of its olive oils, which are characterized by distinct organoleptic and sensory properties. The study was carried out with regional funding aimed at the conservation and enhancement of native RVGs (Plant Genetic Resources - DICOVALE Project).

The high variability of olive growing in Campania is confirmed by the many native varieties grown, each characterized by its own aromatic and phenolic profile. Among the minor varieties to be enhanced, the Salerno variety known as 'Oliva Bianca' was chosen for evaluation , which is present within the area of the Cilento and Vallo di Diano Park. Its name derives from the particular white color of the fruit at the moment of veraison, before the appearance of the classic purple color we are familiar with.

The chemical-physical characterizations performed have shown interesting qualitative aspects including the considerable size of the drupe (on average 4.3 g) and a high oil content (on average 18.6%) that allow the 'Oliva Bianca' to be used both for the production of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) and for their consumption as table olives.

The EVOO produced has a high oleic acid content (74.8%) and especially a very good content of total polyphenols (648.9 mg/kg). These compounds play a key role in slowing down cellular aging and counteracting the formation of free radicals especially at the expense of blood lipids, and their amount expressed as the value of total polyphenols if above 300 mg/kg allows us to speak of 'conventional functional food'. This is underlined by EFSA as a health claim and in the case of EVOO, obtained from the White Olive we talk about more than 200% more of these functional and nutraceutical molecules.

The even more interesting aspect associated with this variety is the presence, among the polyphenols, of about 255.2 mg/kg of oleocanthal (p-HPEA-EDA), a concentration far higher than the average reported in the literature for the EVOOs analyzed. This compound has significant antioxidant activity and a clear and demonstrated anti-inflammatory action very similar to that of the well-known therapeutic ingredient ibuprofen. The action of oleocanthal, on a par with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), brings benefits and counteracts, as mentioned, chronic inflammatory processes, reduces the risk of degenerative and neurodegenerative diseases also possesses a very interesting and topical antiplatelet activity as never before.

Data in the literature indicate that it takes only about 4 soup spoons per day of an oleocanthal-rich EVOO to introduce an equivalent amount of about 125 mg of ibuprofen, and, of course, the side effects are much less impactful on our health.

EVOO obtained from the White Olive was characterized as possessing an aroma profile dominated by a high trans-2-hexenal content (72.3 percent) which gives it a taste of green fruity, spicy, bitter, apple, almond and cut grass.

The characterization study of the 'Oliva bianca' variety has just been published in the journal Plants (Plants 2021, 10, 1119), and it represents a starting point for the characterization of minor olive genetic resources in Campania, thus allowing other little-known varieties to be valued for their health and nutraceutical aspects, for which further studies are planned in the future to characterize additional indigenous olive cultivars of Campania and all this to positively influence the production fabric of the Campania region.