A phenolic compound in VOO that stands alone in terms of sensory and anti-inflammatory attributes is decarboxy methyl ligstroside aglycone (also known as oleocanthal) [19]. Oleocanthal is homologous with the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) ibuprofen [19] for both perceptual and anti-inflammatory properties. Both compounds produce a localised irritation in the oropharangeal region and further research instigated, because of the perceptual similarities, found that oleocanthal shares a similar anti-inflammatory action with Ibuprofen [19] therefore oleocanthal is now acknowledged as a naturally occurring NSAID [20,21,22,23,24].
Importantly it has been proposed that the long term daily ingestion of virgin olive oil (containing oleocanthal), which is a common attribute of the traditional Mediterranean diet, may be partially responsible for the favorable health profile of Mediterranean populations [19].
