The oxidative changes in the chain of unsaturated fatty acids are the main problem of preserving quality and nutritive value of vegetable oils. According to numerous researches, virgin olive oil is one of the most stable oils. It is a complex system of active substances whose role in the oxidation processes is determined by their interactions and by influence of external factors. From this system we selected the most important components -phenolic substances, tocopherols, carotenoids, chlorophylls and oleic acid, and explained their importance in the oxidative changes of olive oil.
