Properties and chemical compositions of monovarietal virgin olive oil at different ripening stages: A study on olive cultivation in Northwest China

Abstract

The olive management in China is rarely reported. This study evaluates the influence of drupes ripening on virgin olive oil (VOO) quality of four main varieties (Olea europaea L., cultivars Ezhi‐8, Koroneiki, Leccion, and Frontoio) cultivated in Northwest China. Quality indices, fatty acid profiles, polyphenols, terpenic acids, tocopherols, and squalene contents are tested at four ripening stages from September to November. The contents of linolenic acid, saturated fatty acids, triterpenic acids, and squalene in all VOO samples decreased during ripening; in contrast, the oleic acid, linoleic acid, nervonic acid (first reported in VOOs), cinnamic acid, p‐coumaric acid, apigenin, and naringenin (contents) increased. The dynamics of the major phenolic compounds, such as hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol, and secoiridoids, were cultivar‐dependent. The two‐way ANOVA and Fisher's LSD test showed that oil compositions varied depending on the ripeness stage and cultivar. Moreover, this latter had more influence than harvest dates on the VOO features. Besides, by applying the orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis, several key metabolites (C18:1, oleanolic acid, maslinic acid, oleacein, oleocanthal, and α‐tocopherol) differentiate the four cultivars. In contrast, squalene, oleanolic acid, maslinic acid, oleocanthal, luteolin, and α‐tocopherol could effectively differentiate the four harvesting dates.

Introduction: Sustainability as an agroecological strategy toward resilience in agricultural systems

“…Chen et al, 2023;Chen & Shen, 2023;C. Guo, Yuan et al, 2023;Li et al, 2022;Liu et al, 2023;Mohammadpur et al, 2023;Qi et al, 2023;Shivashimpar et al, 2023;Yu et al, 2022;Zhang et al, 2023).…”

“…Useful approaches should involve multiple practices, adapt to different sites, and respond to farmers and community requirements. The research articles published in the special section “Agricultural and biological sciences: Plant, soil, animal and environment” address actual topics for agriculture and biology, covering smart technologies, bioinformatics, sensors in agriculture, rhizosphere microbiomes, mycorrhizal fungus and nano potassium fertilizer, IAHP, FCE, soil management, water efficiency, plastic‐film mulching technology, crop breeding, direct seeding, fruit growing management, and multi‐sensor data (C. Chen et al., 2022; X. Chen et al., 2023; Chen & Shen, 2023; C. Guo, Yuan et al., 2023; Li et al., 2022; Liu et al., 2023; Mohammadpur et al., 2023; Qi et al., 2023; Shivashimpar et al., 2023; Yu et al., 2022; Zhang et al., 2023).…”

“…Characteristics and chemical compositions of olives at different ripening stages are very important variables for virgin olive oil. Zhang et al (2023) analyzed the influence of drupes ripening on virgin olive oil quality of four olive varieties planted in orchards from Northwest China. The contents of linolenic acid, saturated fatty acids, and triterpenic in all virgin olive oil samples decreased during ripening, while the contents of oleic acid, linoleic acid, cinnamic acid, apigenin, and naringenin increased during fruit ripening (Zhang et al, 2023).…”

“…To contribute to this ambitious aim, several international researchers present their novel articles in this special section of Agronomy Journal . The published papers depict a series of current topics on smart technologies, bioinformatics, sensors in agriculture, rhizosphere microbiomes, mycorrhizal fungus and nano potassium fertilizer, improved analytic hierarchy process (IAHP), fuzzy comprehensive evaluation (FCE), soil management, water efficiency, plastic‐film mulching technology, crop breeding, direct seeding, orchard management, and multi‐sensor data for agriculture (C. Chen et al., 2022, 2023; Chen & Shen, 2023; C. Guo, Yuan et al., 2023; Li et al., 2022; Liu et al., 2023; Mohammadpur et al., 2023; Qi et al., 2023; Shivashimpar et al., 2023; Yu et al., 2022; Zhang et al., 2023).…”