Abstract
The high proportions of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) represent one of the most important technological and nutritional features of olive oils. The present study details the fatty acid (FA) composition of autochthonous cultivars (Lentisca, Madural, Redondal, Rebolã, Verdeal, and Verdeal Transmontana) produced from centenarian trees during five crop years (2013–2017). Olive cultivar highly influenced the FA composition, namely, oleic acid (70.3% for Madural to 80.7% for Redondal) and palmitic acid (10.4% for Lentisca to 13.5% for Verdeal). Similarly, crop year significantly influenced the individual FA contents. Principal component analysis of FA data enabled the unsupervised classification by cultivar and, within each cultivar, by crop year. Furthermore, the levels of nine individual FAs, together with the polyunsaturated fatty acid contents, selected using the simulated annealing algorithm, allowed for their correct classification, on the basis of linear discriminant analysis, according to the olive cultivar, with an overall sensitivity of 92%, for leave-one-out cross-validation procedure. Globally, the cultivar effect superimposed that of crop year, showing that some cultivars, such as Redondal and Verdeal Transmontana, have consistently high and homogeneous proportions of MUFA, indicating that they are worth exploring in terms of future selection of cultivars that are able to produce olive oils with increased nutritional value and that are less prone to oxidation.
Highlights
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is a vegetable oil extracted from fresh and healthy olives (Olea europaea L.), by mechanical processes, respecting all good manufacturing practices of hygiene, safety, and temperature
Oleic acid (C18:1) was the main fatty acid found in all cultivars, and, combining the data from the five years, its average proportion ranged from 70.3%
As the study occurred during five consecutive years, for each cultivar evaluated, we evaluated the possibility of using the fatty acid compositions together with the climatic data (Table 2) to identify the olive oils’ crop year
Summary
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is a vegetable oil extracted from fresh and healthy olives (Olea europaea L.), by mechanical processes, respecting all good manufacturing practices of hygiene, safety, and temperature. EVOO is a natural product that can be consumed directly in its raw state and enjoys worldwide recognition, thanks to its nutritional value and beneficial effects on health [1]. The high demand of this product results from the high content of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and the presence of minor components such as phytosterols, squalene, vitamins, and antioxidants such as tocopherols and polar phenols [2], the latter supporting an authorized health claim by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) [3]. Oleic acid seems to protect the human body against several types of diseases, having neurotrophic properties and slowing the progression of atheromatous lesion on the walls of the arteries by reducing low-density lipoproteins (LDL) oxidation [7,8]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
