# Olive Paste-Enriched Cookies Exert Increased Antioxidant Activities
## 4 Discussion
### In Vitro Antioxidant Activity of Cookies  
All enriched cookies before baking showed higher antioxidant activities compared to control cookies (_p_ < 0.05). The increases of antioxidant activities as determined with DPPH, \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c} \hline \hline
**Total Phenolics** & **OPC** & **OPCG** & **OPCT** & **OPCO** \\ \hline Before baking & 1.33 \(\pm\) 0.09 c & 1.48 \(\pm\) 0.08 b & 1.50 \(\pm\) 0.08 b & 1.87 \(\pm\) 0.06 a \\ After baking & 1.37 \(\pm\) 0.08 c & 1.51 \(\pm\) 0.10 b & 1.54 \(\pm\) 0.07 b & 1.92 \(\pm\) 0.1 a \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}  
* Results are expresses as mean \(\pm\) standard deviation from triplicate measurements in mg of gallic acid equivalents per of cookies (mg GAE/g) for total phenolics. OPC: Olive Pomace Cookie; OPCC: Olive Pomace Cookie; OPCC: Olive Pomace Cookie; OPCT: Olive Pomace CookieTyne; OPCC: Olive Pomace CookieTyne. Different letters in each line denote significant difference (_p_ < 0.05).  
\end{table} 
Table 7: Total phenolics content in OPC enriched with garlic or thyme or oregano. ABTS, FRAP, and CUPRAC assays in OPCGTO compared to OPCC were 200.8 \(\pm\) 46.0%, 181.4 \(\pm\) 9.2%, 240.4 \(\pm\) 3.5%, and 302.5 \(\pm\) 21.9% respectively. Similarly, for the four antioxidant determinations the increases of OPCVEG compared to OPCC were 151.19 \(\pm\) 36.8%, 144.5 \(\pm\) 11.2%, 177.8 \(\pm\) 3.0% and 222.4 \(\pm\) 14.5% respectively and those for OPCCOR compared to OPCC were 146.6 \(\pm\) 42.2%, 122.5 \(\pm\) 9.0%, 158.6 \(\pm\) 3.7% and 185.1 \(\pm\) 8.4% respectively. The same profile was observed after baking, where the increases of antioxidant activities as determined with DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, and CUPRAC assays in baked OPCGTO compared to baked OPCC were 218.1 \(\pm\) 16.5%, 214.1 \(\pm\) 12.1%, 264.3 \(\pm\) 1.8%, and 327.2 \(\pm\) 17.4% respectively. Similarly, for the four antioxidant determinations the increases of baked OPCVEG compared to baked OPCC were 160.7 \(\pm\) 11.6%, 168.3 \(\pm\) 19.2%, 200.6 \(\pm\) 6.4% and 240.4 \(\pm\) 11.8% respectively and those for baked OPCGR compared to baked OPCC were 145.3 \(\pm\) 19.4%, 143.8 \(\pm\) 20.4%, 176.9 \(\pm\) 2.8% and 199.0 \(\pm\) 9.9% respectively. At the same time, before baking total phenolics in OPCGTO, OPCVEG, and OPCGR were higher (_p_ < 0.05) compared to OPCC in percentages equal to 178.8 \(\pm\) 9.0%, 131.8 \(\pm\) 5.4%, and 122.9 \(\pm\) 3.7% respectively. After baking total phenolics in OPCGTO, OPCVEG, and OPCGR were also higher (_p_ < 0.05) compared to OPCC in similar percentages equal to 193.7 \(\pm\) 6.3%, 145.6 \(\pm\) 4.4%, and 132.5 \(\pm\) 2.6% respectively. A trend for lower total phenolics and antioxidant activities was noted in OPCc after baking. On the other hand in OPCGTO, OPCVEG and OPCGRG a trend for higher total phenolics and antioxidant activities was observed. In both cases these differences were not statistical significant (_p_ > 0.05). Increased antioxidant activities have been related to the production of reductones during Maillard reaction, while increased phenolics have been noticed due to the release of phenolic compounds from precursor molecules upon heating. These phenomena depend on time, temperature and food ingredients [16; 30; 31]. In the present study the time and temperature on the studied cookies did not cause significant changes. According to Tables 5 and 7 total phenolics before baking in OPCGTO are increased due to the presence of olive paste, garlic, thyme and oregano by percentages equal to 68.3 \(\pm\) 2.9%, 19.1 \(\pm\) 2.2%, 21.6 \(\pm\) 2.4% and 68.6 \(\pm\) 7.3%, respectively. Similarly, after baking the increased percentages of the total phenolic content due to olive pomace, garlic, thyme and oregano are equal to 77.8 \(\pm\) 3.5%, 18.1 \(\pm\) 1.9%, 25.3 \(\pm\) 7.4% and 71.4 \(\pm\) 0.2%, respectively. The results show that olive paste and garlic contribute to the greatest extentd in total phenolic content of the cookies, followed by thyme and garlic.