Oinotria table olives: Quality evaluation during ripening and processing by biomolecular components

Abstract

Since ancient times, olives (Olea europaea L. cv. Cassanese) have been treated for table black olive production; the wizened Oinotria(WOTO) is still processed in the traditional way. This process and the technological treatment include three operations: blanching, salting and drying of mature black olives. In this investigation, samples were harvested at two ripening stages. The infestation conditions, firmness, oil content and quality, and biophenolic composition of the drupes were analysed before and after the processing. The results showed that fruit firmness decreased during ripening and processing, oil content increased and total biophenols (tBPs) decreased according to adopted procedures, while the fatty acid composition remained unaltered during the overall treatment. Moreover, the extracted oil parameters indicate that oil quality is maintained without lipid deterioration as the WOTO treatment progresses. The tBP content is sufficiently large to protect against autoxidation during the shelf life and to give a functional value to this traditional product of Mediterranean food culture.