A combination of (1)H NMR and (31)P NMR spectroscopy and multivariate statistical analysis was used to classify 192 samples from 13 types of vegetable oils, namely, hazelnut, sunflower, corn, soybean, sesame, walnut, rapeseed, almond, palm, groundnut, safflower, coconut, and virgin olive oils from various regions of Greece. 1,2-Diglycerides, 1,3-diglycerides, the ratio of 1,2-diglycerides to total diglycerides, acidity, iodine value, and fatty acid composition determined upon analysis of the respective (1)H NMR and (31)P NMR spectra were selected as variables to establish a classification/prediction model by employing discriminant analysis. This model, obtained from the training set of 128 samples, resulted in a significant discrimination among the different classes of oils, whereas 100% of correct validated assignments for 64 samples were obtained. Different artificial mixtures of olive-hazelnut, olive-corn, olive-sunflower, and olive-soybean oils were prepared and analyzed by (1)H NMR and (31)P NMR spectroscopy. Subsequent discriminant analysis of the data allowed detection of adulteration as low as 5% w/w, provided that fresh virgin olive oil samples were used, as reflected by their high 1,2-diglycerides to total diglycerides ratio (D > or = 0.90).

This paper introduces a facile method to determine the amount of mono- and diglycerides in virgin olive oils. This method is based on the phosphorylation of the free hydroxyls of the mono- and diglycerides with 2-chloro-4,4,5,5-tetramethyldioxaphospholane and the integration of the appropriate peaks in the (31)P NMR spectrum. Quantitative (31)P NMR spectroscopy can be extended to the quantification of other constituents of olive oils bearing functional groups with labile protons.

[1] The organic chemical composition of atmospheric submicron particles in the marine boundary layer was characterized over the northeast Atlantic Ocean in summer 2006, during the season of phytoplankton blooms, in the frame of the Marine Aerosol Production (MAP) experiment. First measurements of water-insoluble organic carbon (WIOC) in marine aerosol particles by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy showed that it is structurally similar to lipids, resembling the organic fraction of sea spray formed during bubble-bursting experiments. The composition of the water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) fraction was investigated by liquid chromatography -mass spectrometry and by 1D-and 2D-NMR spectroscopy, and showed a less hydrophilic fraction containing traces of fatty acids and rich of alkanoic acids formed by lipid degradation, and a more hydrophilic fraction, containing more functionalized species encompassing short-chain aliphatic acids and sulfate esters of hydroxyl-carboxylic acids. The more oxidized fraction of WSOC accounts for the oxidized organic aerosol components, which can form by either gas-to-particle conversion or extensive chemical aging of lipid-containing primary particles, as also suggested by the parallel measurements using online mass spectrometric techniques (presented in a companion paper), showing oxidized organic substances internally mixed with sea salt particles. These measurements are also compared with online measurements using an Aerosol Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometer (ATOFMS) and Aerodyne Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (AMS). Given the large variability in the chemical composition of marine organic aerosol particles, a multitechnique approach is recommended to reduce method-dependent categorizations and oversimplifications and to improve the comparability with the results obtained in different oceanic areas.

This review is a brief account on the application of a novel methodology to the quality control and authentication of extra-virgin olive oil. This methodology is based on the derivatization of the labile hydrogens of functional groups, such as hydroxyl and carboxyl groups, of olive oil constituents with the phosphorus reagent 2-chloro-4,4,5,5-tetramethyldioxaphospholane, and the use of the 31 P chemical shifts to identify the phosphitylated compounds. Various experimental aspects such as pertinent instrumentation, sample preparation, acquisition parameters and properties of the phosphorus reagent are reviewed. The strategy to assign the 31 P signals of the phosphitylated model compounds and olive oil constituents by employing 1D and 2D NMR experiments is presented. Finally, the capability of this technique to assess the quality and the genuineness of extra-virgin olive oil and to detect fraud is discussed.

High-field 31P NMR (202.2 MHz) spectroscopy was applied to the analysis of 59 samples from three grades of olive oils, 34 extra virgin olive oils from various regions of Greece, and from different olive varieties, namely, 13 samples of refined olive oils and 12 samples of lampante olive oils. Classification of the three grades of olive oils was achieved by two multivariate statistical methods applied to five variables, the latter being determined upon analysis of the respective 31P NMR spectra and selected on the basis of one-way ANOVA. The hierarchical clustering statistical procedure was able to classify in a satisfactory manner the three olive oil groups. Subsequent application of discriminant analysis to the five selected variables of oils allowed the grouping of 59 samples according to their quality with no error. Different artificial mixtures of extra virgin olive oil-refined olive oil and extra virgin olive oil-lampante olive oil were prepared and analyzed by 31P NMR spectroscopy. Subsequent discriminant analysis of the data allowed detection of extra virgin olive oil adulteration as low as 5% w/w for refined and lampante olive oils. Further application of the classification/prediction model allowed the estimation of the percent concentration of refined olive oil in six commercial blended olive oils composed of refined and virgin olive oils purchased from supermarkets.

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In this study, the diglyceride contents of 96 samples of virgin olive oils from the regions of Crete, Lesvos, Messinia, Pilion, Zakynthos, Halkidiki, and Ilia, 15 samples of commercial extra virgin and pure olive oils, and 3 samples each of refined olive oils and pomace oils were determined by a facile method introduced in a previous publication. This method is based on the phosphitylation of the free hydroxyls of the diglycerides with 2-chloro-4,4,5,5-tetramethyldioxaphospholane and the integration of the appropriate peaks in the (31)P NMR spectra. This preliminary study showed interesting trends in the diglyceride content of the virgin olive oils from the various regions of Greece that can be used as simple criteria to assess the olive oil characteristics. Analysis of variance has been carried out for the diglyceride content of each region in an attempt to detect possible differences in the diglyceride levels among the various regions. Finally, the relationship between the ratio of 1,2-diglycerides to the total amount of diglycerides and the total amount of diglycerides has been used to monitor the quality of virgin olive oils, commercial olive oils, refined olive oils, and pomace oils.

Following the discovery of glutamine synthetase/glutamate (Glu) synthase, the physiological roles of Glu dehydrogenase (GDH) in nitrogen metabolism in plants remain obscure and is the subject of considerable controversy. Recently, transgenics were used to overexpress the gene encoding for the b-subunit polypeptide of GDH, resulting in the GDH-isoenzyme 1 deaminating in vivo Glu. In this work, we present transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) plants overexpressing the plant gdh gene encoding for the a-subunit polypeptide of GDH. The levels of transcript correlated well with the levels of total GDH protein, the a-subunit polypeptide, and the abundance of GDH-anionic isoenzymes. Assays of transgenic plant extracts revealed high in vitro aminating and low deaminating activities. However, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis of the metabolic fate of 15 NH 4 or [15 N]Glu revealed that GDH-isoenzyme 7 mostly deaminates Glu and also exhibits low ammonium assimilating activity. These and previous results firmly establish the direction of the reactions catalyzed by the anionic and cationic isoenzymes of GDH in vivo under normal growth conditions and reveal a paradox between the in vitro and in vivo enzyme activities.