Classification of extra virgin olive oils produced at La Comunitat Valenciana according to their genetic variety using sterol profiles established by high-performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry detection.

A method to classify extra virgin olive oils (EVOOs) according to their genetic variety using sterol profiles obtained by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with mass spectrometry (MS) detection has been developed. Sterol extracts were chromatographed on a dC18 Atlantis column (100x3 mm, 3 microm) with a gradient of acetonitrile/water (0.01% acetic acid) at a flow rate of 1.0 mL min(-1) and positive-ion mode MS detection. Using linear discriminant analysis of the HPLC-MS data (extracted ion chromatograms), EVOO samples belonging to six genetic varieties cultivated at La Comunitat Valenciana, Spain (Arbequina, Borriolenca, Canetera, Farga, Picual, and Serrana), were correctly classified with an excellent resolution among all of the categories.

Prediction of the genetic variety of extra virgin olive oils produced at La Comunitat Valenciana, Spain, by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), followed by multivariate treatment of the spectral data, was used to classify extra virgin olive oils (EVOOs) according to their genetic variety. EVOO samples corresponding to seven different genetic varieties (Arbequina, Borriolenca, Canetera, Farga, Hojiblanca, Picual, and Serrana) were analyzed. The wavelength scale of the FTIR spectra of the oils was divided into 20 regions. The normalized absorbance peak areas within these regions were used as predictor variables. Classification of the EVOO samples according to their genetic variety was achieved by linear discriminant analysis (LDA). A good resolution among all categories was achieved using a LDA model constructed with only nine predictor variables. With this LDA model, 88% of the EVOOs were correctly classified, with assignment probabilities higher than 95%. This method is helpful for olive oil producers because it provides useful information related to the genetic variety of EVOOs, which is required by European Community regulations.