Antioxidant activity and phenolic contents of Olea europaea L. leaves sprayed with different cooper formulations

The presence of cooper can catalyse oxidation of fatty acid chains, exerting a deleterious influence over shelf life. Transition metals, which possess two or more valence states with a sui tab le redox potential, act as pro-oxidants even at concentrations lower than 0.1 ppm, and could affect the speed of autoxidation and the direction of hydroperoxide breakdown to volatile le compounds. Being copper a transition metal that even, in small concentration, is a very potent oxidation catalyst, can enter a redox reaction, giving rise to consequent lipid peroxidation phenomenon due to the free radicals producing.