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Effects of Olive Trees Age on the Minor Components of Oueslati Virgin Olive Oils Produced from Olives Harvested at Different Ripening Degrees

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Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society

Abstract

Phenolics, volatiles, squalene, tocopherols, and fatty acids of virgin olive oils (VOO) from adult and young olive trees of the Oueslati variety, typically cultivated in the Center of Tunisia, were analyzed at three different harvesting periods. Significant differences in contents of saturated fatty acids (p < 0.05), squalene (p < 0.05), alpha-tocopherol and total tocopherol (p < 0.02) and oxidized form of decarboxymethyl oleuropein aglycon (p < 0.05) were seen between VOO from adult and young trees during maturation. Moreover, the volatile profiles of VOO from adult and young trees showed significant differences in the amounts of hexanal, 1-penten-3-ol (p < 0.05), (Z)-3-hexenal and (Z)-2-penten-1-ol (p < 0.01). Principal component analysis showed that olives from adult trees should be harvested at the cherry stage of maturation to obtain a satisfactory level of oil quality, while olives from young trees should be harvested at the black maturation stage.

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Abbreviations

VOO:

Virgin olive oils

EVOO:

Extra virgin olive oils

MI:

Maturation index

SFA:

Saturated fatty acid(s)

MUFA:

Monounsaturated fatty acid(s)

PUFA:

Polyunsaturated fatty acid(s)

OxDOA:

Decarboxymethyl oleuropein aglycon oxidised form

DOA:

Decarboxymethyl oleuropein aglycon

OA:

Oleuropein aglycon

DLA:

Decarboxymethyl ligstroside aglycon

Ac PIN:

(+)-1-Acetoxypinoresinol

API:

Apigenin

LUT:

Luteolin

LA:

Ligstroside aglycon

phytomoleculesDer CIN (ferulic):

Cinnamic acid and derivatives (ferulic acid)

LOX:

Lipoxygenase

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the “Ministère de l’Enseignement Supé́rieur et de la Recherche Scientifique” (Laboratory LR14ES08), Tunisia, for its financial support to this research work. We gratefully thank Ms. Mara Mandrioli, Dr. Rosa Palagano, Dr. Houda Nsir, and Dr. Beatriz Almeida for their help in the laboratory. We also thank Mr. Mohamed Neji Arous and Mr. Hassan Bouchaala for their help and efforts.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire d’Electrochimie et Environnement, Ecole National d’Ingénieur de Sfax, Université de Sfax, BP 1173, 3038, Sfax, Tunisia

    Fatma Chtourou & Mohamed Bouaziz

  2. Institut de l’olivier à Sfax, Unité technologie et qualité de l’huile d’olive, 3029, Sfax, Tunisia

    Fatma Chtourou & Aida Lazzez

  3. Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, 47521, Cesena, FC, Italy

    Enrico Valli, Alessandra Bendini & Tullia Gallina Toschi

  4. Institut Supérieur de Biotechnologie de Sfax, Université de Sfax, BP 1175, 3038, Sfax, Tunisia

    Mohamed Bouaziz

Authors
  1. Fatma Chtourou
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  2. Enrico Valli
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  3. Alessandra Bendini
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  4. Aida Lazzez
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  5. Tullia Gallina Toschi
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  6. Mohamed Bouaziz
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mohamed Bouaziz.

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Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Additional information

Chemical compounds: Methanol (PubChem CID: 887), n-hexane (PubChem CID: 8058), potassium hydroxide (PubChem CID: 14797), isopropanol (3776), 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (PubChem CID: 547), caffeic acid (PubChem CID: 689043), 4-methyl-2-pentanone (PubChem CID: 7909), myrcene (PubChem CID: 31253), (E)-2-hexen-1-ol (PubChem CID: 5318042), hexyl acetate (PubChem CID: 8908), butyric acid (PubChem CID: 264), methyl heneicosanoate (PubChem CID: 22434), syringic acid (PubChem CID: 10742), tyrosol (PubChem CID: 10393).

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Chtourou, F., Valli, E., Bendini, A. et al. Effects of Olive Trees Age on the Minor Components of Oueslati Virgin Olive Oils Produced from Olives Harvested at Different Ripening Degrees. J Am Oil Chem Soc 94, 435–447 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11746-017-2947-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11746-017-2947-5

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