The olive oil production industry is a relevant economic activity in
the Mediterranean countries. However, in the extraction process a large amount
of a residual effluent called olive mill wastewaters (OMWW) is produced, which
represents a large environmental problem. The physicochemical composition of
the OMWWis variable but can be characterized by a high organic load, acidic pH,
intense oily smell, and a dark brown colour. The high-level organic complexity
contributes to their biodegradability resistance, causing negative environmental
effects. Up until now, a globally standardised treatment for this residue has not
been defined, mainly due to technical and economic limitations. However, this
residue has the potential for being used in different areas, being converted from an
environmental problem to a possible solution. In this work, the total phenolic content,
antioxidant activity and the antimicrobial activity of two different OMWW
against eight different microorganisms were evaluated. The results showed that
OMWW has a good inhibitory power against different pathogenic bacteria, especially
against Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus mirabilis
and Enterococcus faecalis, and therefore can potentially be exploited for their
antimicrobial activity.
