Generating omega‐3 rich olive oil by cross breeding

Abstract

In this research, 14 hybrid table olive genotypes were used as material which were harvested from Olive Breeding Parcels in Atatürk Central Horticultural Research Institute (Yalova/TURKEY) and their maturation index, oil content, fatty acid composition and omega‐6:omega‐3 fatty acid ratio were evaluated. These genotypes were generated by crossing Gemlik, Manzanilla, Ascolana, Edinciksu, Uslu, and Tavşan yüreği olive cultivars during cross breeding studies of a national project. Oil was obtained from fruit of olive genotypes by cold pressing. Maturation index and oil content of genotypes were determined between 2.6–6.4 and 22.43–28.12 (%). Linolenic acid distributions in fatty acid composition of genotype's oil were detected between 0.5–1.33 (% in fatty acids). Some olive genotypes' oils had high linolenic characteristics that they have potential for supporting the necessary intake of omega‐3. Also, some of them have had the desired omega‐6/omega‐3 fatty acid ratio which were between 3.74 and 4.00.Practical applications: Olive oil is a traditional product of Mediterranean basin and commonly consumed all over the world. But there is a need to improve yield, quality and nutritional value of olive oil. For this reason, there breeding studies were conducted. One of them was carried out in Ataturk Central Horticultural Research Institute. Here domestic and foreign olive cultivars were crossed to generate new olive genotypes since 1990. This research aimed to determine the olive oil of these obtained olive genotypes which had higher oil and omega‐3 content and lower omega‐6:omega‐3 fatty acid ratio. Generating the high omega‐3 content olive oil by cross breeding is one of the cheapest, simplest and most natural ways of obtaining omega‐3 and delivering it to the consumer.