LC-DAD/ESI-MS/MS characterization of phenolic constituents in Tunisian extra-virgin olive oils: Effect of olive leaves addition on chemical composition.

The aim of the present research is to evaluate the chemical characterization of main compounds from Tunisian monocultivar extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) ('Chemlali', 'Chétoui', 'Zalmati' and 'crossbreeding Chemlali by Zalmati') extracted after the addition of different amounts (0% and 3%) of olive leaves. As expected for extra virgin olive oil, the main sterols found in all analyzed samples were ß-sitosterol, ∆-5-avenasterol, campesterol and clerosterol. Stigmasterol, 24-methylene-cholesterol, cholesterol, campestanol, sitostanol, ∆-7-stigmastenol, ∆-5,24-stigmastadienol, and ∆-7-avenasterol were also found in all samples, but in lower amounts. Most of these compounds were significantly affected by the cultivars but not to be affected by added leaves at 3% to olives prior to the extraction process. The obtained results revealed that 14 phenolic compounds belonging to different phenolic types were characterized and quantified by an effective HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS method. In all the studied olive oil samples, dialdehydic form of elenolic acid linked to hydroxytyrosol (3,4-DHPEA-EDA), oleuropein aglycon (3,4-DHPEA-EA), and ligstroside aglycon (p-HPEA-EA) were the most abundant compounds. In addition, EVOO from 'Chétoui' cultivar extracted with 3% of olive leaves presented the highest amount of individual phenolic compounds.

Effect of containers on the quality of Chemlali olive oil during storage.

This study is undertaken to determine the storage stability of Chemlali extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) in different containers such as clear and dark glass bottles, polyethylene (PE) and tin containers. The different oil samples were stored under light at room temperature. Quality parameters monitored during a 6-month-storage period included: acidity, peroxide value (PV), spectrophotometric indices (K232 and K270), chlorophyll and carotene pigments, fatty acids and sterol compositions, total phenols, Rancimat induction time as well as sensory evaluation. Tin containers and dark glass bottles recorded the lowest oxidation values. In addition, oil packed in tin containers and dark glass bottles showed better physicochemical and organoleptic characteristics than that stored in clear glass bottles and PE containers. A significant decrease (p < 0.05) in the antioxidant contents (carotenes, chlorophylls and total phenols) was observed in the oil stored in the clear glass bottles and PE containers. Such results proved that the storage of oil in tin containers and dark glass bottles appeared most adequate, and showed a gradual loss of quality during storage, especially in PE containers and clear glass bottles. This study has shown that the best packaging materials for the commercial packing of Chemlali extra-virgin olive oil are tin containers and dark glass bottles.

Effect of olive storage conditions on Chemlali olive oil quality and the effective role of fatty acids alkyl esters in checking olive oils authenticity.

The present paper accounts for the study of the storage of Chemlali olive fruits at two conditions of limited aerobiosis: in closed plastic bags and in open perforated plastic boxes for different periods before oil extraction. The ultimate objective is to investigate the effect of the container type of the postharvest fruit storage on the deterioration of the olive oil quality. The results have shown that the oil quality of Chemlali olives deteriorated more rapidly during fruit storage in closed plastic bags than in perforated plastic boxes. Therefore, the use of perforated plastic boxes is recommended for keeping the olives for longer periods of storage. The repeated measures analysis of variance of all parameters analyzed indicated that the olive oil quality is mainly affected by the olives storage conditions (containers type and storage periods). Finally, blends of extra-virgin olive oil and mildly deodorized low-quality olive oils can be detected by their alkyl esters concentrations.

Monitoring of quality and stability characteristics and fatty acid compositions of refined olive and seed oils during repeated pan- and deep-frying using GC, FT-NIRS, and chemometrics.

Refined olive, corn, soybean, and sunflower oils were used as cooking oils for deep-frying at two different temperatures, 160 and 190 °C, and for pan-frying of potatoes at 180 °C for 10 successive sessions under the usual domestic practice. Several chemical parameters were assayed during frying operations to evaluate the status of the frying oils. Refined olive oil, as frying oil, was found to be more stable than the refined seed oils. In fact, this oil has proven the greatest resistance to oxidative deterioration, and its trans-fatty acid contents and percentages of total polar compounds were found to be lower at 160 °C during deep-frying. Finally, chemometric analysis has demonstrated that the lowest deterioration of the quality of all refined oils occurred in the refined olive oil during deep-frying at 160 °C and the highest deterioration occurred in the refined sunflower oil during pan-frying at 180 °C.

Detection of Chemlali extra-virgin olive oil adulteration mixed with soybean oil, corn oil, and sunflower oil by using GC and HPLC.

Fatty acid composition as an indicator of purity suggests that linolenic acid content could be used as a parameter for the detection of extra/virgin olive oil fraud with 5% of soybean oil. The adulteration could also be detected by the increase of the trans-fatty acid contents with 3% of soybean oil, 2% of corn oil, and 4% of sunflower oil. The use of the ΔECN42 proved to be effective in Chemlali extra-virgin olive oil adulteration even at low levels: 1% of sunflower oil, 3% of soybean oil, and 3% of corn oil. The sterol profile is almost decisive in clarifying the adulteration of olive oils with other cheaper ones: 1% of sunflower oil could be detected by the increase of Δ7-stigmastenol and 4% of corn oil by the increase of campesterol. Linear discriminant analysis could represent a powerful tool for faster and cheaper evaluation of extra-virgin olive oil adulteration.

Effect of processing systems on the quality and stability of Chemlali olive oils.

The present work has been carried out to ascertain the influence of different processing systems employed in olive process on the chemical composition, quality and stability of three Chemlali olive oils. Among these oils, two were classified as extra-virgin olive oils and the third named repassed olive oil was classified as an ordinary virgin olive oil. The analysis of the effect of the processing (two- and three-phases) on the analytical determinations values, revealed statistically significant differences (p<0.05) in some parameters, mainly in oxidative stability, antioxidant activity, total waxes, total phenols, o-diphenols and α-tocopherol contents as well as phenolic composition. The phenolic composition values were higher in the extra-virgin olive oil obtained from the two-phase system than in that obtained from the three-phase processing because it does not require the addition of water to the olive paste. Nevertheless, they were lower in the ordinary virgin olive oil (repassed olive oil) which was obtained by introducing hot water to the wet residues into the centrifugation processing at two-phases, than those in the extra-virgin olive oils obtained from the two- and three-phase processing.