Olive byproducts and their bioactive compounds as a valuable source for food packaging applications.

Among the most important agro-industrial activities in the Mediterranean basin, olive oil production has a high impact on the economy of many Mediterranean countries. However, olive oil extraction generates huge quantities of byproducts, including leaves, pomace residues, stones and wastewater, which have severe environmental impacts mainly because of their phytotoxicity and great organic content. Olive oil byproducts are regarded as inexpensive and abundant raw materials rich in bioactive compounds with high and varied health-related activities. Several phenolic compounds and terpenoids were recovered from olive byproducts using different conventional and advanced extraction methods due to their potential to be used in food, packaging, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. Recently, the use of olive byproducts and their functional compounds to enhance the functional properties of packaging systems was investigated as a sustainable strategy for food preservation, fostering the sustainability of the olive-oil chain, and promoting circular economy. In this framework, the main goals of this review are to summarize the main bioactive compounds in olive byproducts, to review the main advancements in their extraction, purification, and characterization, and finally to discuss their applications in food packaging systems as well as safety-related aspects.

Effect of course length and corridor width on the 2-minute walk test performance in geriatric patients.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of course length and corridor width on 2-minute walk test results in older adults. DESIGN: Cross-sectional and experimental study with different test conditions. SETTING: Geriatric rehabilitation clinic. SUBJECTS: A total of 21 patients (median age 81 years). MAIN MEASURES: Patients walked two minutes on a 20 m and 40 m course with a 2 m or 1 m corridor width and on a continuous course without any turning in a corridor of 2 m width, five walks in total. The distance traveled within the 2 minutes was recorded. RESULTS: Compared with the 20 m course length, median walking distances measured by the 2-minute walk test in a walk way 2 m broad were better on the continuous corridor without any turn (136.9 m vs. 129.3 m, p = 0.002) and on the 40 m course (131.8 m vs. 129.3 m, p = 0.003). Walking distance on a 20 m course length was longer in a corridor of 2 m width compared with the 1 m corridor width (129.3 m vs. 119.2 m, p = 0.005). The walking distance was not affected by corridor width on the 40 m course length. CONCLUSIONS: Performance of elderly patients on the 2-minute walk test is influenced by the width of the corridor and the length of the course used.