Comparative evaluation of sequence-dependent effects of pulsed electric field coupled with pectinase treatment on olive oil extraction efficiency

Pulsed electric field coupled pectinase (PEF-PE) increased 50.79% oil yield. • PEF-PE enhanced the oxidation stability and nutritional value of olive oil. • PEF-PE destroyed cell wall by reducing polysaccharide content and crystallinity. • PEF-PE treated olive paste had the lowest viscosity and optimal viscoelasticity. • PEF-PE promoted cell wall roughening and oil droplet aggregation. Superior olive oil requires advanced extraction techniques to ensure both extraction efficiency and quality. This study comparatively evaluated the effects of different combining sequences of pulsed electric field (PEF) and pectinase (PE) on olive oil extraction. Among the combined treatments, PEF followed by PE treatment (PEF-PE) showed the best performance, increasing oil yield by 50.79% compared with the control group, while maintaining high phenolic content (106.01 μg/g) and favorable oxidation-related quality parameters. Cell wall compositional analysis showed that PEF-PE reduced pectin, hemicellulose, and cellulose contents by 51.05%, 39.79%, and 37.93%, respectively, and decreased cellulose crystallinity by 17.01%. Rheological and microscopic observations further showed that PEF-PE reduced paste viscosity and viscoelasticity, increased cell wall surface roughness, and promoted oil droplet aggregation. These results suggest that PEF-PE is an effective pretreatment sequence for olive oil extraction and provide a preliminary reference for further evaluation. Download: Download high-res image (311KB) Download: Download full-size image