en تخصصي Special Original article Original article <div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><strong>Background: </strong>Olive oil is a source of antioxidants and poses positive effects on human health. The objective of this study was firstly to identify and quantify the phenolics of some Algerian olive oils; secondly, the antioxidant activity of the samples was assessed.<br> <strong>Methods:</strong> The virgin olive oils used in this study were derived from three Algerian cultivars, including Azeradj, Bouchouk, and Chemlal. After preparation of the samples, the phenolic, ortho-diphenol and flavonol contents in addition to phenolic profile were determined. Also, antioxidant capacity, reducing power, and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity values were analyzed. Statistical analysis of the data was done with Statistica 5.5 Fr.<br> <strong>Results:</strong> The phenolic contents of analyzed olive oils showed significant differences (<em>p</em><0.05) between three different cultivars. The total phenolics of the studied cultivars were ranged from 132.8 to 318.9 mg Gallic Acid Equivalents (GAE)/kg. The ortho-diphenols contents varied between 13.02 and 31.1 mg caffeic acid equivalents/kg. Also, the total flavonol content was ranged from 6.5 to 13.6 mg quercetin equivalents/kg. On the other hand, significant differences (<em>p</em><0.05) were found between phenolic profiles and antioxidant activity of the three Algerian olive oil cultivars.<br> <strong>Conclusion:</strong> Both Chemlal and Azeradj Algerian olive oil cultivars can be considered as appropriate sources of bioactive phytochemicals, which play a major role in human health as free radical scavenger and can replace synthetic antioxidant in the food products.<br> <br> <strong>DOI:</strong> 10.29252/jfqhc.5.2.4</span></span></div> Olive Oil, Phenols, Antioxidants 49 53 http://jfqhc.ssu.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-622-2&slc_lang=en&sid=1 O. Soufi souficqa@yahoo.fr Yes Laboratoire de Biochimie Appliquée, Faculté des Sciences de la Nature et de la Vie, Université de Bejaia, 06000 Bejaia, Algérie C. Romero No Food Biotechnology Department, Instituto de la Grasa (IG-CSIC), Ctra. deUtrera km1, Edificio 46, 41013 Sevilla, Spain M. Hadid No Laboratoire de Biochimie Appliquée, Faculté des Sciences de la Nature et de la Vie, Université de Bejaia, 06000 Bejaia, Algérie K. Hamoumraoui No Laboratoire de Biochimie Appliquée, Faculté des Sciences de la Nature et de la Vie, Université de Bejaia, 06000 Bejaia, Algérie H. Louaileche No Laboratoire de Biochimie Appliquée, Faculté des Sciences de la Nature et de la Vie, Université de Bejaia, 06000 Bejaia, Algérie