Fatty acid profiles of varietal virgin olive oils (&lt;i&gt;Olea europaea&lt;/i&gt; L.) from mature orchards in warm arid valleys of Northwestern Argentina (La Rioja)

D P Rondanini,D N Castro,M C Rousseaux,P S Searles

doi:10.3989/gya.125110

Abstract

The olive industry in Northwestern Argentina has experienced substantial growth during the past two decades to produce virgin olive oil for export. To assess the fatty acid profiles of the main varietal olive oils, 563 oil samples from 17 varieties cultivated in the province of La Rioja were analyzed from 2005-2008. Olive varieties were ranked according to oleic acid content as low ( 65%; Manzanilla, Empeltre, Leccino, Coratina, Changlot, Picual). Using data from this study and the literature, the fatty acid composition of Spanish (Arbequina, Picual) and Italian (Coratina, Frantoio) varieties indicated consistently lower oleic acid contents when grown in NW Argentina versus the Mediterranean. For Arbequina, the oleic content decreased with increasing temperature during oil accumulation (-2% per °C). The classification of varieties should be useful in the selection of virgin olive oils for corrective blending and for choosing varieties for new orchards in order to meet IOOC requirements. The differences in fatty acid composition between NW Argentina and the Mediterranean Basin are most likely to be related to a genotype produced by environmental interaction, and the negative effect of the high seasonal mean temperature during oil accumulation will need further research.

Highlights

In the last two decades, olive production has increased dramatically in Argentina due to governmental tax promotions spurred by the increased international demand for olive oil
The primary objectives of this study were to: i) assess the fatty acid profiles of olive varieties in NW Argentina over four years (2005- 2008) based on 563 oil samples from the province of La Rioja and surrounding areas in order to rank the varieties by oleic acid content; and ii) compare fatty acid performance from the region with that of the Mediterranean Basin using data from the literature
The lowest mean oleic acid values were found in the Spanish variety Arbequina (51.8%, N 5 320) and the Argentine variety Arauco (54.9%, N5 26), while the highest mean corresponded to Picual (71.9%, N 5 32)

Summary

Introduction

In the last two decades, olive production has increased dramatically in Argentina due to governmental tax promotions spurred by the increased international demand for olive oil. New orchards have been planted in the warm desert valleys of mountainous Northwestern Argentina including the Provinces of La Rioja, Catamarca, and San Juan (28 – 31° S latitude). This extensive region covers about 25,000 km and has a great deal of environmental variability in temperature, rainfall, elevation above sea level, and soils (Ayerza and Sibbett, 2001). Domestic olive oil consumption is very low, and olive oil is mainly exported to Brazil, Canada, the United States, and some European countries (MAGPyA, 2010)

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