CONCENTRATION OF PHENOLIC-COMPOUNDS CHANGE IN STORAGE BRINES OF RIPE OLIVES

The effects of cultivar, salt concentration and temperature on changes in phenolic compounds during storage of ripe olives were studied, usi ng a 2(3) factorial design. The effect of salt was negligible. Higher temperature increased phenols diffusion rate into brines for two culti vars assayed. The cultivars, Hojiblanca and Cacerena varied in polyphe nol content. Throughout storage there was hydrolysis of glucosides int ially in flesh (oleuropein, verbascoside and luteolin 7-glucoside due to the acidic conditions. This effect caused the content of oleuropein in brines to always be lower than 1.5 mM and resulted in a continous increase in level of hydroxytyrosol.