The Golden Oil

Oleic Acid

A fatty acid found commonly in animal and

vegetable fats and oils, though none as abundant
in Oleic acid as . . .
 Olive Oil

The oil extracted from the fruit of the sacred olive

tree; Olive oil has found its place as a major
historical component in cooking, hygiene, and
various utility
The Culture
Behind the
Olive

Even as civilizations rose and fell in
the region, the olive tree and its
golden oil were always at the base of
their prosperity and at the heart of
their culture
 Mythological Origins: Egypt

Egyptian Mythology has

It that the goddess Isis introduced
The olive tree to the world
 Mythological Origins: Greece

Greek Mythology attributes

Introduction of the olive
Tree to Athena, goddess
Of wisdom as her entry
Into a contest with
Poseidon over the city
Of Athens
 Mythological Origins: Rome

Roman Mythology has it that

The hero Hercules is responsible
For bringing the olive tree to Rome
From Northern Africa, and the Goddess
Minerva is credited for bringing the
Knowledge of its cultivation and the
Extraction of the precious olive oil
 Culturally Interwoven

With the olive oil and its ties within mythology, the
olive and its tree served a strong cultural purpose
 The Culture Behind the Olive

In the extremely romantic and poetic society the

was Classical Greece, the Olive tree and specifically
its oil was praised for its value

The Greek poet Homer referred to olive oil as

liquid gold

The Greek Philosopher Democritus had said that

a diet of honey and olive oil would make it
possible for a man to live to the age of 100
 The Culture Behind the Olive

As is its importance, Olive oil has made over 100

appearances in the bible

The deliverance of an olive branch to Noah after

the flood

The wise virgins having their lamps lit with Olive

oil
Historically, what was Olive oil even used for?
 The
Historical
Uses of Olive
Oil

As well as its obvious role supplying
valuable calories as a food, olive oil
was used in many other aspects of
everyday life by the people living
around the Mediterranean
 The Historical Uses of Olive Oil

Both the Greeks and the Romans

Used olive oil to light up dark city
Streets

Woman in these cultures also used

Olive oil for their skin and hair,
Believing that it made them look
Younger and kept their hair
Healthy and shiny
 The Historical Uses of Olive Oil

Greek athletes had thought

Olive oil was key in making their
Muscles supple

The Olive tree was seen as a

Symbol of victory and so an olive leaf
Wreath and olive oil were given to the
Athletes who were victorious in the
Olympic games
 The Historical Uses of Olive Oil

Greek and Egyptian doctors used

The leaves from the olive tree to
Treat malaria and fevers

Olive oil itself and the mixtures

created with it were used to treat
Cholera, Insomnia, Nausea, and
Ulcers
What makes the Olive and its oil so special?
 The
Chemistry of
Olive Oil

We do not think it too speculative to
assert that without oleic acidnamed
after the olive and the molecule that
differentiates olive oil from other oils
or fatsthe development of Western
civilization and democracy might
have followed a very different path
 The Chemistry of Olive Oil

Oleic acid is a Fatty acid

Fats and Oils are known as Triglycerides

Triglycerides are formed from a Glycerol

molecule and three molecules of Fatty acids

A Fatty acid is a carbon chain with an acid group

COOH on one end
 Glycerol Molecule (C3H8O3)

Oleic Acid Molecule (C18H34O2)

 The Chemistry of Olive Oil

Glycerol and three Fatty acids come to form a

Triglyceride molecule

A Triglyceride molecule must have at least two

or less Fatty acid molecules be the same

All Fats and Oils have the same Glycerol portion,

it is the Fatty acids that differ from molecule to
molecule
 The Chemistry of Olive Oil

If a Fatty acid is Saturated, then it has the

saturated amount of Hydrogen, meaning there
are no Carbon to Carbon double bonds that can
be broken to allow for excess Hydrogen

If such Carbon to Carbon double bonds are

present in the Fatty acid, then it is deemed
Unsaturated
 The Chemistry of Olive Oil

If an Unsaturated Fatty acid has one Carbon to

Carbon double bond, it is considered
Monounsaturated

If an Unsaturated Fatty acid has more than one

Carbon to Carbon double bond, it is considered
Polyunsaturated
 The Chemistry of Olive Oil

The more Carbon to Carbon double bonds that

are present in an Unsaturated Fatty acid, the less
efficient it is at Packing

The less efficient the Packing in a molecule, the

easier it is to overcome the attractions that hold
the molecule together, and thus can be
separated at lower temperatures
 The Chemistry of Olive Oil

Triglycerides with a higher proportion of

Unsaturated Fatty acids tend to be liquid at room
temperature, we call these Oils

Triglycerides with a lower proportion of

Unsaturated Fatty acids tend to be solid at room
temperature, we call these Fats
 The Chemistry Behind Olive Oil

The Monounsaturated, 18-carbon molecule

known as Oleic acid is the major Fatty acid found
in Olive Oil

While Oleic acid is found in many Oils and Fats,

Olive Oil has the largest proportion of Oleic acid
as opposed to any other Oil or Fat
 Fun Fact

It is commonly known now that Saturated Fatty acids

are a leading cause of heart disease, however, in
Mediterranean regions where the Unsaturated Olive Oil
is consumed, heart disease is observed to be much lower
 The Chemistry Behind Olive Oil

Another important benefit present in Olive Oil

that most other Oils and Fats do not have is its
relatively long shelf life for being an Unsaturated
Oil

As the number of Carbon to Carbon double

bonds in a molecule begin to grow, so does a
Triglycerides tendency to oxidize - go rancid
 The Chemistry Behind Olive Oil

Considering that Olive Oil has a much smaller

concentration of Polyunsaturated Fatty acids
than most other Oils and Fats, it is lended a much
longer shelf life

Olive Oil also contains a small amount of

polyphenols and Vitamins E and K, antioxidants
that play a critical role in natural preservation
How does the chemistry behind Olive Oil help it
relate to everything else?
Preservatives,
Trade, and the
Greek
Kingdoms

The natural preservatives present as
antioxidants in olives would have
been of paramount importance to the
oil traders of ancient Greece
 How The Chemistry Behind Olive Oil Relates To
Everything Else

To the Greek Oil traders, the natural

Preservatives found in Olive Oil to be
An economic life-saver

When combined with the versatile

And sought after uses of Olive Oil, Greek
Traders were able to use Olive Oil as
The prime export, allowing them to
Bring in metals, spices, and cloth
 How The Chemistry Behind Olive Oil Relates To
Everything Else

This turned the many ports of the

Greek City-States into Maritime hubs
And economic powerhouses

The Olive Trees well sutured ability

Grow on steep rocky cliffs made it the
Perfect crop to cultivate along the
Coasts of Greece
 Fun Fact
Common Roman hygiene consisted of rubbing
Olive Oil and sand on the body
 How The Chemistry Behind Olive Oil Relates To
Everything Else

At the decline of the Roman Empire

And the subsequent downfall of the
Kingdoms in the mediterranean, Olive
Oil itself suffered a downfall of its own

However this was short lived, during

The rise of the European Feudal
Kingdoms, Olive Oil was used for a
Very new purpose
What's this new purpose?
Soap!

Olive oil may have been a factor in the
collapse of classical Greece, but around
the eighth century A.D. the
introduction of a product from olive
oil, soap, may have had even more
important consequences for European
society
 Soap!

The process behind the making of Soap is known

as Saponification

Saponification is the process in which a

Triglyceride breaks down into its Glycerol and
Fatty acid components with the use of an Alkali,
or Base

Common Bases used in Saponification are

Potassium Hydroxide and Sodium Hydroxide
 Soap!

With the onset of Plague-ridden

Europe, bathing fell almost out of
Fashion due to fear that it was a
Leading cause of the plague

Soap however was in high demand,

Used to wash clothes, pots and
Pans and even faces and hands
With all that said, what's the big idea behind
Olive Oil?
The Big
Idea

But the wealth that olive oil brought
to ancient Greece ultimately allowed
the development of many of the ideals
of that culture that we still value today
 The Big Idea

In the end, Olive Oil and its wonderful

characteristics was the prime reason Classical
Greece was able to reach such an astounding
level of development, and thus subsequently led
to environment where the ideas such as
democracy, self-government, philosophy, and
logic were allowed to blossom
And with all that said . . .
 Thanks for listening!

ANY FINAL QUESTIONS?