Characteristics and composition of libyan olive oil

Chemical and physical characteristics of local olive oil (both virgin and refined) were determined. The moisture levels in olive fruit, cake and oils were 11.77, 12.7 and 0.16% respectively. The total crude fat on dry basis was: fruit, 39%; and cake, 7%. The free fatty acids (FFA) in both virgin and refined oils were high (4.4 and 4.3%). The samples of virgin as well as refined oil were found to have relatively low oleic acid contents (43.7 and 46.4%). However, linoleic acid was found to be higher than expected and the total of oleic and linoleic acids was more than 75% in the fraction of neutral lipids. The total saturated and unsaturated fatty acids in olive oil samples was ca. 20 and 80%, respectively.     

Effect of saline irrigation water on olive oil composition

Virgin olive oils were obtained in Egypt from fruits of olive trees irrigated with waters of different salinity concentration (control, 1800, 3600 and 6000 ppm) during the 1992 season. The effect of water salinity on olive oil fatty acid, fatty acid location in triacylglycerol moiety, triacylglycerol, sterol and tocopherol composition was determined. Oleic acid slightly increased and linoleic decreased in the total fatty acid composition, as well as on glycerol carbon-2 and-1(3), with increased water salinity. Trioleoyl, stearoyldioleoyl and palmitoyldioleoyl glycerols are slightly increased with increased water salinity. Total tocopherol was 87.7 mg/kg in the control and increased to 147.0 mg/kg for water with 1800 ppm salinity. At higher salinity concentration, total tocopherol decreased to 107.2 and to 89.1 mg/kg for water salinities of 3600 and 6000 ppm, respectively. The same trend was observed for α, β and γ-tocopherols. Campesterol and β-sitosterol were increased with water salinity of 1800 ppm and decreased when water salinity increased further. Stigmasterol increased at water salinity of 3600 ppm and decreased sharply when the salinity was increased to 6000 ppm. These olive oil composition studies showed that although water salinity may have some compositional effects, there was no major adverse effect on fatty acid, triacylglycerol, triacylglycerol fatty acid location, sterol and tocopherol composition for oil from olives of trees grown with water with a salt composition of up to 6000 ppm.     

Changes in olive oil composition due to microwave heating

The effects of microwave heating on some components of extra-virgin olive oil were studied. Traditional parameters, including free acidity, peroxide value and ultraviolet absorbance values at 232 and 268 nm, were determined in six extra-virgin olive oil samples before and after the microwave treatment. Significant differences (P<0.01) were detected for free acidity, peroxide, and ultraviolet absorbance at 268 nm; also, the absorbances at 232 nm showed significant differences (P<0.05) between treated and untreated samples. The glycerolic fractions, triacylglycerols (TAG), diacylglycerols (DAG), and monoacylglycerols (MAG), were isolated by thin-layer chromatography. The respective percentage fatty acid (FA) composition and percentage amount were obtained by high-resolution gas chromatography with an internal standard. For the most abundant TAG fraction, the stereospecific analysis was carried out to obtain the FA percentage compositions of the three sn-positions. Small but significant modifications were observed regarding the decrease in the TAG percentage and increases in the DAG and MAG percentage amounts. No significant changes were observed for the FA compositions of TAG, DAG, and MAG fractions before and after the treatment. Nevertheless, the results of TAG stereospecific analysis showed losses of unsaturated FA in all sn-positions. Higher percentage changes in the sn-1- than in sn-2-position of TAG were observed. Regarding the volatile fraction, different profiles were obtained after the treatment.     

Fatty acid composition andtrans isomer content of hardened olive oil

Cooking fats and margarines prepared from olive oil were analyzed gas chromatographically for fatty acid composition andtrans isomer content. Argentation thin layer chromatography and mass spectrometry were used to assist in identifications of minor components. Olive oil margarines and cooking fats contained 70–76% monoenoic acids, of which 30–37% was in thetrans configuration, and 5% dienoic acids. Twenty percent of the dienes were in the form oftrans-trans andcis-trans octadecadienoic acid.     

Air exposure time of olive pastes during the extraction process and phenolic and volatile composition of virgin olive oil

The time of exposure of olive pastes to air contact (TEOPAC) during malaxation was studied as a processing parameter that could be used to control endogenous oxidoreductases, such as polyphenoloxidase, peroxidase, and lipoxygenase, which affect virgin olive oil quality. Phenolic and volatile compounds were analyzed in the oils obtained using progressive TEOPAC at three ripening stages of olives. Multivariate statistical analysis was applied to the raw data. The phenolic concentration of virgin olive oil progressively decreased with increasing IEOPAC. On the contrary, a positive relationship was found with the concentration of several volatile compounds responsible for virgin olive oil aroma. The effect of TEOPAC, however, was strictly related to fruit ripening.     

The chemical composition of the seeds of Iranian pumpkin cultivars and physicochemical characteristics of the oil extract

Four Iranian pumpkin seed cultivars were evaluated for their chemical composition and physicochemical characteristics of the extracted oils. Moisture content of seeds was quite low and ranged from 4.7 to 5.4%. The samples showed high level of protein (28.8–35.5%) and oil content (36.9–47.8%) in which the highest amount belonged to Postekaghazi cultivar. In regard to oil properties, due to the high level of oleic acid (52.7%) followed by linoleic acid (28.1%), Khoreshti cultivar was much different from other samples (in which linoleic acid is predominant: 46.5–56.1%). Moreover, relatively high content of phenolic compounds led to high‐oxidative stability index (OSI) of 16.63 h for Khoreshti oil compared to other samples (6.99–10.54 h). Furthermore, cluster analysis confirmed the data obtained in this study. The results showed that pumpkin seed oils were nutritionally valuable and refined oil might be suitable to use as salad or cooking oil.     

Use of chlorophyll and carotenoid pigment composition to determine authenticity of virgin olive oil

The chlorophyll and carotenoid pigment profile of 50 mono-variety virgin olive oils was used to develop an index of authenticity for the product. The presence of carotenoids other than those described, or chlorophyll derivatives at another level of degradation, were found to be determing elements of this index for “virgin” olive oil quality. In addition, the ratio of chlorophyll/carotenoid should be around 1, and the ratio of minor carotenoids/lutein should be about 0.5, with a limited variability. These characteristics may be expected of virgin olive oil in general and are independent of variety. Finally, the percentage of lutein, violaxanthin, and total pigment content may be used to distinguish between mono-variety virgin olive oils.