Chemical and Sensory Profiling of Monovarietal Extra Virgin Olive Oils from the Italian Marche Region

Abstract

Chemical and sensory peculiarities of monovarietal extra virgin olive oils (MEVOOs) from the cultivars (cvs.) Ascolana tenera (ASC), Coroncina (COR), Mignola (MIG), Piantone di Mogliano (MOG), and Raggia (RAG) from Marche region (Italy) are investigated. Their polar phenolic substances and α-tocopherol are analysed through high performance liquid chromatography with different detectors. Volatile substances, fatty acid composition, and squalene are analysed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (MS) and to the flame ionization detector, respectively. Total antioxidant activity and sensory analysis were also performed. MOG showed high squalene content (on average 0.88 ± 0.16 g/100 g), high relative amount of α-copaene among volatiles, and the highest oleic acid percentage. MIG had high α-tocopherol content (on average 350.0 ± 57.6 mg kg−1) and high α-farnesene in the volatile fraction. ASC showed the highest sensory quality and the lignan pinoresinol with higher concentration as compared to the other MEVOOs (p < 0.05), which resulted in a possible chemical marker for this cv. RAG was characterized by the sensory note of almond, which corresponds to its highest (E)-2-hexenal percentage. Sensory analysis and an antioxidant activity assay performed on a set of industrial extra virgin olive oils purchased in supermarkets, highlighted MEVOOs’ superiority from these points of view. Principal component analysis displays the main characteristics of the cvs. investigated.

Eleven Monovarietal Extra Virgin Olive Oils from Olives Grown and Processed under the Same Conditions: Effect of the Cultivar on the Chemical Composition and Sensory Traits

“…2568, 1991. Moreover, the investigated samples showed fatty acid compositions that are well in the average value ranges reported in literature for various Italian monovarietal oils [11,12,40].…”

“…A detailed description of the chemical and sensory traits of MEVOO produced with olive cultivars among the most widespread in Italy, such as Frantoio, Leccino and Moraiolo was reported by several authors [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]. Additionally, the features of MEVOO from cultivars typical of different Italian regions producing appreciated oils were also highlighted [ 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ].…”

Nutrigenomics of Dietary Lipids

“…Other aspects should be considered in the evaluation of the nutrigenomic properties of plant-and animal-based fats: (i) the presence of bioactive compounds that contribute to modulate gene expression; (ii) the oil oxidative stability. For example, olive oil contains a large number of bioactive substances, such as polar phenolic substances (i.e., hydroxy-tyrosol and derivatives like oleuropein complex, tyrosol) and α-tocopherol, which plays a key role in the health promotion and oil stability [22]. Another example is the thymoquinone, contained in Nigella sativa oil, which contributes to modulate the noteworthy anti-inflammatory properties of this oil, which resulted to be quite similar to olive oil in low-grade inflammation models [23][24][25].…”

Antioxidant and Neuroprotective Activity of Extra Virgin Olive Oil Extracts Obtained from Quercetano Cultivar Trees Grown in Different Areas of the Tuscany Region (Italy)

“…Many factors can influence EVOO phenolic composition and concentration including cultivars, climate conditions, ripening stage of the olives but also olive oil production processes and storage [ 30 , 31 ]. Therefore, the definition of an exact phenolic content is hard and referring to different studies the amount could range from 200 to 1000 mg/kg [ 28 , 30 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 ]. Furthermore, the specific phenolic pattern of different EVOOs could influence their biological activity such as neuroprotection.…”