Oil Bodies Cream from Olive Paste: Extraction of a Functional Ingredient for Developing a Stable Food Emulsion

Oil bodies (OBs) dispersed in an aqueous medium form a natural emulsion with high physical and microbiological stability. This work was focused on the development of a new protocol for extracting OBs from olive paste, through the extraction of an olive oil body cream (OOBC) with a yield of about 43% (wt/wt) in approximately 2 h. The proximate analysis revealed the presence of moisture, lipids and proteins as well as the contents of polyphenols and flavonoids, and the antioxidant powers were determined. The rheological and tribological performances of the OOBC were evaluated. Moreover, we measured a size distribution in the range of 0.7-1.7 m, by using a standard optical microscope. The results have demonstrated clearly that the OOBC extracted from the olive paste can be used as a functional and vegan ingredient in food emulsions.