Abstract:

Medicinal-aromatic plants have been used for centuries due to their protective and therapeutic properties. There is an increasing interest in studies on the determination of their phytochemical profiles, the development of their usage areas, and industrial potential. One of these plants is the olive leaf. Olive leaf is widely used in folk medicine in European and Mediterranean countries (Turkey, Greece, Spain, Italy, France, Israel, Morocco, and Tunisia). Olive leaf, which can be used as an extract, herbal tea, and powder in human nutrition; is rich in bioactive components such as antioxidant compounds, phenolics, flavonoids, secoiridoids (oleuropein), triterpenes, and carotenoids. Olive leaf has pharmacological effects such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antiatherogenic, anticarcinogenic, antiviral, hypoglycemic, and neuroprotective due to the oleuropein and phenolic compounds in its composition. Plant sources and agri-food wastes and by-products with potential for bioactive compounds and proven phytochemical profiles are promising in the development of nutraceuticals and functional foods to protect health. In this review, the health benefits and use in the food industry are discussed by drawing attention to the phytochemical profile of olive leaf.

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