Superheated liquid extraction of oleuropein and related biophenols from olive leaves

Oleuropein and other healthy olive biophenols (OBPs) such as verbacoside, apigenin-7-glucoside and luteolin-7-glucoside have been extracted from olive leaves by using superheated liquids and a static–dynamic approach. Multivariate methodology has been used to carry out a detailed optimisation of the extraction. Under the optimal working conditions, complete removal without degradation of the target analytes was achieved in 13 min. The extract was injected into a chromatograph–photodiode array detector assembly for individual separation–quantification. The proposed approach – which provides more concentrated extracts than previous alternatives – is very useful to study matrix–extractant analytes partition. In addition, the efficacy of superheated liquids to extract OBPs, the simplicity of the experimental setup, its easy automation and low acquisition and maintenance costs make the industrial implementation of the proposed method advisable.