The cultivar Bianchera is an autochthonous variety from the eastern part of northern
Italy, but it is also cultivated in the Slovenian and Croatian peninsula of Istria where it is named
Belica (Slovenia) and Bjelica (Croatia). The properties of oleocanthal, a natural anti-inflammatory
ibuprofen-like compound found in commercial monocultivar extra virgin olive oils, were determined
by means of both quantitative 1HNMR (qNMR) and HPLC analyses, where qNMR was identified
as a rapid and reliable method for determining the oleocanthal content. The total phenolic content
(TPC) was determined by means of the Folin–Ciocalteau method and the major phenols present in
the olive oils were also quantified by means of HPLC analyses. All these analyses confirmed that
the cultivar Bianchera was very rich in polyphenols and satisfied the health claim provided by the
EU Commission Regulation on the polyphenols content of olive oils and their beneficial effects on
human health.
