Characterization of Three Portuguese Varietal Olive Oils Based on Fatty Acids, Triacylglycerols, Phytosterols and Vitamin E Profiles: Application of Chemometrics

• Type: Chapter or Part of a Book
• Date: 2010

Authors

Amaral, JS (Author) Other; Mafra, I (Author) FFUP; Oliveira, MBPP (Author) FFUP

Book

Title: Olives and Olive Oil in Health and Disease Prevention

1º Edition

Pages: 581-589

ISBN: 978-0-12-374420-3

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge

Scopus - 12 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-008-D5W

DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-374420-3.00063-2

Abstract (EN): The authenticity and traceability of olive oils has been the object of numerous studies in the past few years. Generally, characterization of monovarietal olive oils requires the study of several compounds, including major components, such as fatty acids (FA) and triacylglycerols (TAG), and the minor ones, such as phytosterols, polyphenols, tocopherols, tocotrienols, and pigments. FA have been successfully used for grouping olive oils according to the olive variety used. Besides, their knowledge is also important to estimate nutritional properties of oils, as saturated FA are associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases, contrarily to mono- and polyunsaturated FA. Several results have also proved the usefulness of TAG in grouping monovarietal olive oils, suggesting that the FA content and distribution on the glycerol moiety can contribute to the establishment of a cultivar chemical fingerprint. Minor compounds, such as phenolics and tocopherols, important for their antioxidant activity, are also able to provide useful information for authenticity assessment. The geographical characterization of olive oils is another important aspect of concern, especially for those certificated as PDO, since they are added-value products. Chemical characterization followed by multivariate statistical analysis has been reported in several studies to be a useful tool for the classification of olive oils regarding their geographical origin. Known as high-quality products, the olive oils from Trás-os-Montes region achieve very high market prices, which can propitiate unfair commercial practices. It is therefore important to use analytical techniques to ensure the assessment of identity and quality of these oils, and guarantee the proper product classification. © 2010 Copyright

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific