Solar drying is affordable, requiring low energy and an eco-friendly method. Thus, the present paper studies the efficiency and characteristics of the indirect solar convective drying in the fruits of Arbutus unedo L. as well as its effects on the fruit phenolic compounds. The fruit samples were dried at 60 °C, 70 °C, and 80 °C. Phenolic compounds were investigated using a Liquid Chromatography platform. Experimental results revealed that the effective moisture diffusivity determined by Fick’s second law varied from 1.51 × 10−9 to 4.68 × 10−9 m2/s, and the activation energy recorded was 2203.62 kJ/kg. Both the total energy consumption and the specific electrical energy of the dried fruits decreased as temperature increased. The Midilli–Kucuk model was selected as the best-fitted model for drying Arbutus unedo L. Significant effect of temperature on phenolics was observed. The concentration of the phenolic compounds decreased by 15.54, 39, and 40.63% at 60, 70, and 80 °C, respectively.

Virgin olive oil is a highly appreciated edible oil, considered as a relevant component of the Mediterranean diet. The spread of this foodstuff all over the world is making, to a certain extent, that new markets and consumers are getting used to this “Mediterranean’s golden treasure”. Currently, there is great momentum in research relating virgin olive oil intake to healthiness, which has been mainly associated with its phenolics content. Phenolics are considered health-promoting compounds due to their multifaceted biochemical actions that can potentially reduce the risk of various health problems. Yet, since the health-promoting effects of various phenolic compounds have been widely attributed to their metabolic products rather than the naturally occurring forms, the assessment of virgin olive oil phenolics bioavailability is still gaining immense attention and considered a great hot topic among researchers. In the first section of this contribution, the main groups of phenolic compounds identified in virgin olive oil are described, their qualitative and quantitative variability is discussed while analytical approaches applied for their determination are highlighted. The second section reports the beneficial health properties of virgin olive oil consumption related to its phenolics content paying special attention to their bioavailability.

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