Characterization of Olive Oils Obtained from Minor Accessions in Calabria (Southern Italy).

Amalia Piscopo,Rocco Mafrica,Rosa Romeo,Alessandra De Bruno,Simone Santacaterina,Marco Poiana

doi:10.3390/foods10020305

Abstract

The valorization of minor accessions of olive is potentially a good way to improve the qualitative production of a specific territory. Olive oils of four minor accessions (Ciciarello, Tonda di Filogaso, and Ottobratica Calipa and Ottobratica Cannavà clones) produced in the same area of the Calabria region were characterized for the principal qualitative analyses at two drupe harvesting periods (October and November). Good quality in terms of free acidity, peroxides, spectrophotometric indexes, and fatty acid composition was observed in olive oils produced at both drupe harvesting times, with the exception of those of Tonda di Filogaso, which showed a free acidity level over the legal limit for extra virgin olive oil in the second harvesting time. All of the olive oils possessed at both production periods averagely abundant total polyphenols (460–778 mg/kg) and tocopherols (224–595 mg/kg), and the amounts changed in the experimental years for expected different environmental variations. Ottobratica Cannavà and Ottobratica Calipa clones showed some peculiar qualitative characteristics (free acidity, peroxides, fatty acid composition, and total polyphenols), distancing themselves from the principal variety of reference, Ottobratica.

Highlights

In view of the recognized importance of the right lifestyle, primarily resulting in healthy eating, the daily consumption of olive oil is highly recommended for its dotation in monounsaturated fatty acids, in particular oleic acid, and antioxidant compounds, proven to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular and age-associated diseases [1]
Correlated with these results, the authors have conducted with this study a first investigation on qualitative parameters of olive oils obtained from four minor olive accessions, Ciciarello, Tonda di Filogaso, Ottobratica Calipa, and Ottobratica Cannavà, that are grown in the same area of Calabria
This paper aims to investigate for the first time the chemical characteristics of olive oils from four minor olive accessions, Ciciarello, Tonda di Filogaso, Ottobratica Calipa, and Ottobratica Cannavà, present in the Tyrrenian Southern area of Calabria

Summary

Introduction

In view of the recognized importance of the right lifestyle, primarily resulting in healthy eating, the daily consumption of olive oil is highly recommended for its dotation in monounsaturated fatty acids, in particular oleic acid, and antioxidant compounds, proven to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular and age-associated diseases [1]. The Italian olive heritage contains over 500 varieties; many of these are in Calabria [14], a region located in the southern Italy, due to favorable geographic area, climate, and soil conditions that promote the diffusion of cultivars (about 33) to a different extent Some of these are largely present along the Calabria region, such as Carolea cv. It was evidenced that the cultivation in the different areas of Calabria, where different microclimates are present, significantly impacts the diversification and typical characterization of productions, both from different varieties [16] and from the same cultivar [19] Correlated with these results, the authors have conducted with this study a first investigation on qualitative parameters of olive oils obtained from four minor olive accessions, Ciciarello, Tonda di Filogaso, Ottobratica Calipa, and Ottobratica Cannavà, that are grown in the same area of Calabria

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