ECOBIOLIVO Operational Group

In recent years, there has been growing interest in solutions focused on a circular bioeconomy for the by-products of the olive oil sector (mainly olive leaves and olive oil), which are currently considered waste and pose a major economic and environmental problem for companies in the sector, particularly those present in Andalusia, as outlined in the Spanish Circular Economy Strategy 2030.

On the other hand, the bioactive potential and richness of different families of compounds present in these olive byproducts are well known. In this regard, various studies have demonstrated their beneficial effects on various pathologies, some closely related to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, among others.

All of this makes these olive byproducts a highly interesting source of bioactive compounds with activity against these pathologies, thus impacting their revaluation, especially in rapidly expanding markets such as functional foods, nutraceuticals, and pharmaceuticals. However, within the scientific community, there is a pressing need to identify and understand the biological mechanisms by which these bioactive compounds exert their effect on certain therapeutic targets of interest.