**Antibacterial Activity of Three Extra Virgin Olive Oils of the Campania Region, Southern Italy, Related to Their Polyphenol Content and Composition**

**Filomena Nazzaro 1,\* , Florinda Fratianni <sup>1</sup> , Rosaria Cozzolino 1, Antonella Martignetti 1, Livia Malorni 1, Vincenzo De Feo <sup>2</sup> , Adriano G. Cruz <sup>3</sup> and Antonio d'Acierno <sup>1</sup>**


Received: 22 July 2019; Accepted: 4 September 2019; Published: 5 September 2019

**Abstract:** Production of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) represents an important element for the economy of Southern Italy. Therefore, EVOO is recognized as a food with noticeable biological effects. Our study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial activity exhibited by the polyphenolic extracts of EVOOs, obtained from three varieties of *Olea europea* L. (*Ruvea antica*, *Ravece*, and *Ogliarola*) cultivated in the village of Montella, Avellino, Southern Italy. The study evaluated the inhibiting effect of the extracts against some Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Statistical analysis, used to relate values of antimicrobial activity to total polyphenols and phenolic composition, revealed a different behavior among the three EVOO polyphenol extracts. The method applied could be useful to predict the influence of singular metabolites on the antimicrobial activity.

**Keywords:** extra virgin olive oil; polyphenols; antimicrobial activity
