Influence of the fruit's ripeness on virgin olive oil quality.

Virgin Olive Oil (VOO) is a product much demanded by consumers looking for the highest quality and certain traits considered to be typical of the Mediterranean area. The olive fruit's properties and the industry-regulated physicochemical and sensory parameters of seven cultivars were evaluated during the ripening process. In general, the oil percentage in both the wet and dry material increased for all the cultivars from the green to the spotted stages of maturation, and they stayed constant statistically until the ripe stage with just a few exceptions.

Phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity of virgin olive oil.

The characterisation of virgin olive oil from Arbequina, Carrasqueña, Corniche, Manzanilla Cacereña, Morisca, Picual, and Verdial de Badajoz varieties according to the individual phenolic compounds at different ripening stage was carried out. In all olive oil varieties studied, secoiridoid derivatives were most abundant, followed by phenolic alcohols, flavonoids and phenolic acids. The secoiridoid derivatives of hydroxytyrosol were the most important complex phenols for Picual and Carrasqueña, whereas the tyrosol derivatives were the major ones found in Manzanilla Cacereña, and Verdial de Badajoz.

Total phenolic compounds and tocopherols profiles of seven olive oil varieties grown in the south-west of Spain.

This article reports about the presence of some of the components of minor fraction of virgin olive oils, polyphenols and tocopherols, in several of the VOO varieties from Extremadura. The relationship between both classes of compounds and the oxidative stability of the oils is also examined. The levels of total phenols, α, β, and γ tocopherols showed significant differences (p<0.

Fatty acid, triacylglycerol, and phytosterol composition in six Tunisian olive varieties.

The physicochemical and stability properties as well as the fatty acid, triacylglycerol, sterol, and triterpenic dialcohol compositions of Tunisian olive oil varieties were analyzed. On the basis of our results, we classified all of the monovarietal oils into the extra virgin category. Oleic and linoleic acids were the most useful fatty acids to discriminate three cultivars, Neb Jmel, Chétoui, and Ain Jarboua, from the others.