**1. Introduction**

In palm oil mills, crude palm oil (CPO) is obtained by mechanical pressing ripe fruits produced by commercial cultivars of African palm *Elaeis guineensis* Jacq. D × P type (i.e., Dura × Pisifera breed) (D × P CPO) or by *Elaeis oleifera (Kunth) Cortés × E. guineensis Jacq.* Breeds are commonly known as O × G interspecific hybrids (O × G CPO) under specific pressure and temperature conditions. In its natural unprocessed state, CPO is dark red, a distinctive feature that is attributed to the carotenoid fraction contained in its lipid structure, which includes α- and β-carotene (the precursor to vitamin A that gives carrots their characteristic color), and lycopene (which gives fruits and vegetables their red color) to a lesser extent [1, 2].

CPO is a fatty compound comprising an important fraction of biologically active molecules with varied physiological properties that, in appropriate amounts, stimulate the proper functioning of the immune, digestive, and reproductive systems [3–5]; facilitate the recovery of connective tissue [6]; promote the correct development of vision [5, 7]; have positive effects on the cardiovascular health of adults

and the elderly [3]; limit the action of free radicals, provide protection against other reactive oxygen species, and fight oxidative stress [8–14]. A high concentration of tocopherols and tocotrienols, carotenoids, squalene, and phenolic compounds gives CPO its antioxidant power.

Antioxidants are compounds that have the ability to prevent or delay the oxidation of other molecules by inhibiting the initiation or spread of chemical reactions [15]. This allows them to protect the body against the possible effects attributed to the action of free radicals and other reactive oxygen species—ROS—(organic and inorganic oxygen ions and peroxides) [4, 16]. Depending on their source, antioxidants can be classified into two groups, one made up of those synthesized by the body (endogenous) and the other made up of those derived from food intake (exogenous) [17]. Over the last decade, the role of antioxidants in the diet and their impact on human health and the treatment of different diseases have gained significant scientific interest [18–20]. Different studies suggest that antioxidants supplied to the body *via* food intake play a key role in slowing the development of chronic diseases with the greatest impact worldwide, such as neoplastic [21, 22], neurodegenerative [23, 24], and cardiovascular [25, 26] diseases.

Furthermore, CPO is refined and fractioned by physical or chemical processes to obtain refined, bleached, and deodorized (RBD) palm olein (liquid fraction: 65–70% of unsaturated fatty acids) and RBD palm stearin (solid fraction: 30–35% of saturated fatty acids). Refining is the most effective mechanism to remove the natural color, odor, taste, and impurities of CPO [27]. However, about 99% of carotenoids are removed during the bleaching stage of palm oil refining [28], while approximately 36% of vitamin E is degraded during its refining and fractioning [29]. For a few decades now, has minimally processed and refined red palm oil been introduced into Western markets, with varying results in the consumers' perception of the product. In some cases, the natural color of red palm oil proved to be unattractive to some buyers, while for others, this property represented a high nutritional value and the richness in carotenoids of this vegetable oil [30].

In recent decades, several studies have revealed much of the biological functions of the micronutrients found to some extent in palm oil, such as phenols and tocotrienols, β-carotene, squalene, and phytosterols, which make this fatty constituent a unique and ideal raw material for various food applications given its versatility. This chapter highlights the most relevant properties of the most abundant group of minor compounds in palm oil of different sources while proposing it as a suitable material to formulate and develop functional foods enriched with palm phytochemicals.
