CONTENT AND CHARACTERIZATION OF POLYPHENOLS FROM FOUR OLIVE CULTIVARS GROWING AT SOUTHEASTERN URUGUAY

A comparative research was done between olive oils extracted with Abencor system and from an olive mill using fruits of the cultivars ‘Arbequina’, ‘Coratina’, ‘Leccino’ and ‘Frantoio’. Different maturity indexes (MI) were studied, for ‘Arbequina’ 1.1, 2.2 and 3.6, for ‘Coratina’ 1.0, 1.9 and 3.8, for ‘Frantoio’ 0.7, 2.4 and 3.8 and for ‘Leccino’ 1.8, 2.4 and 3.2. The analyses carried out were: free fatty acid content, peroxide value, polyphenol content and sensory profile.
According to IOC regulations all olive oils analyzed were ‘extra-virgin’. Total polyphenol content (TPC) varied according to fruit maturity, showing higher values at the intermediate MI. Pinoresinol was the main polyphenol in ‘Arbequina’ and ‘Frantoio’ cultivars and dialdehyde form of descarboxymethyl oleuropein aglycone was the main polyphenol in ‘Coratina’ and ‘Leccino’. Regarding the effect of oil extraction method, the Abencor system was more efficient than the industrial method for polyphenol recovery, averaging between 50 and 100% higher.
These results stress the poor efficiency of the industrial process employed to recover fruit phenolic components. ‘Coratina’ olive oil with MI=1.9 has the highest TPC. This fact may be of interest to enhance oxidative stability and sensory profile of other olive oils with minor amounts of phenolic compounds.
In order to accomplish this, new researches should be made to improve the extraction in olive mill.

VII International Symposium on Olive Growing

L. Raggio, A. Gámbaro, M. Oroño, C. Feller, B. Irigaray , M.A. Grompone

Olea europaea, extra-virgin olive oil, polyphenols, sensory analysis, maturity index

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2014.1057.81