The recovery of polyphenols from olive mill waste using two adsorbing vegetable matrices

Olive mill wastewater (OMW) is considered one of the most pollutive waste materials in the Mediterranean basin. However, its phenolic fraction should be recovered, since it has been shown to have incredible benefits for health. In the present study, the adsorbent and desorbent capacities of Azolla and granular activated carbon (GAC) were investigated. The GAC was found to be more efficient than Azolla in both the adsorption and the desorption of phenols. The total characterization of two powder products obtained from Azolla and GAC desorption is reported, together with their antioxidant and antiradical activities. In the Azolla powder product, total polyphenols were more than twice as numerous as those found in the GAC powder product. The GAC powder contained hydroxytyrosol in concentrations that were 3.5 times higher than those of Azolla. On the other hand, both powder products showed great antiradical activities: the IC50 was found to be 102 mg ml−1 for the Azolla and 199 mg ml−1 for the GAC powders respectively. The oxygen radical absorbance capacity was very high: 4097 μmol TE g−1Azolla powder product and 1277 μmol TE g−1 of GAC powder products.