Changes in Olive and Olive Oil Characteristics During Maturation

Changes in olive properties and oil quality, oxidative stability, phenolic and chemical composition of two common Turkish varieties (Memecik and Edremit) during maturation were investigated. Olive samples were collected in their own growing region for five different harvest dates and processed to oil with a laboratory scale mill. Metabolic behaviors of these two varieties along with the maturation were different in terms of some compositional parameters. Oleic acid, triolein, β-sitosterol, oleuropein, hydroxytyrosol, and tyrosol contents of olive or olive oils fluctuated with maturation. However, changes in average weight, flesh/pit ratio, water and oil contents of the olives were observed. Phenolics such as trans cinnamic acid contents of both olive fruits decreased whereas cyanidin 3-O-glucoside and cyanidin 3-O-rutinoside anthocyanins increased. Free fatty acids of virgin olive oils were found independent of maturity although some slight changes were determined in peroxide value, dien and trien conjugations. Some compositional parameters such as pigment concentration, tocopherols, stearic acid, linolenic acid, palmitodiolein and monounsaturated/polyunsaturated fatty acid ratio decreased while linoleic acid, dioleolinolein, palmitooleolinolein and Δ-5-avenasterol percentages increased with the maturation. A clear discrimination was observed with principal component analysis. The data obtained can also be considered useful for providing information to determine the ideal maturity stage.     

Phenolic Characterization and Geographical Classification of Commercial Extra Virgin Olive Oils Produced in Turkey

The aim of this research was to characterize the extra virgin olive oil samples from different locations in the Aegean coastal area of Turkey in terms of their phenolic compositions for two consecutive years to show the classification of oil samples with respect to harvest year and geography. Forty seven commercial olive oil samples were analyzed with HPLC–DAD, and 17 phenolic compounds were quantified. Hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol, vanillic acid, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, cinnamic acid, luteolin and apigenin were the characteristic phenols observed in all oil samples for two harvest years. Syringic acid, vanillin and m-coumaric acid were the phenolic compounds appeared in the olive oil depending on the harvest year. Partial least square-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) of data revealed that oils from the north Aegean and south Aegean areas had different phenolic profiles. The phenolic compounds, which played significant roles in the discrimination of the olive oils, were tyrosol, oleuropein aglycon, cinnamic acid, apigenin and hydroxytyrosol to tyrosol ratio. The Aegean coastal region is the largest olive oil producer and exporter of Turkey. This study shows that the olive oils from different parts of the region have their own defining characteristics that can be used in the authentication studies and geographical labeling of Turkish olive oils.     

Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidant Capacity of Monovarietal Olive Oils Produced in Argentina

Virgin olive oil has high levels of phenolic compounds that are highly bioavailable; these compounds are receiving considerable attention for their antioxidant activity, closely related to the prevention of non‐communicable chronic diseases. The aim of this work was to characterize the phenolic profile and antioxidant capacity of monovarietal olive oils cvs. Arauco, Arbequina, Farga and Empeltre produced in Argentina. This study focused on the relationship between the single molecules or classes of molecules quantified by SPE‐CZE, the corresponding Folin‐Ciocalteu results, and antioxidant capacity using three different tests. Fifteen compounds were simultaneously determined: tyrosol, vinylphenol, oleuropein, hydroxytyrosol, rutin, catechin, naringenin, cinnamic acid, chlorogenic acid, syringic acid, luteolin, apigenin, vanillin acid, quercetin, and caffeic acid. The phenolic contents of the monovarietal olive oils show significant differences between different varieties (p < 0.05), with positive and significant Pearson's correlation found between Folin–Ciocalteu and CZE. Besides, the correlation between the content of total polyphenols and antioxidant capacity was high for all the antioxidant assays performed. When analyzing the correlation coefficients of the different families of phenolic compounds studied, simple phenols and cinnamic acid derivatives show a higher correlation with antioxidant capacity. Thus, findings obtained in this study demonstrated that Arauco olive oil, autochthonous for Argentina, possesses the highest antioxidant/free‐radical scavenging properties, which are very likely due to the presence of high contents of phenolic compounds.     

Evolution of phenols and pigments in extra virgin olive oil from irrigated super‐intensive orchard

Phenolic compounds have a high importance in olive oil because of their effect on shelf life and sensory properties. This study reports on the HPLC profiles of the phenolic compounds of virgin olive oils obtained from Arbequina olives from the harvesting in a super‐intensive orchard under a linear irrigation system. In addition, phenolic content, carotenoid and chlorophyllic pigments, and oxidative stability were analyzed. Total phenol content and 3,4‐DHPEA‐EDA increased up to a maximum throughout the ripening process. The simple phenols tyrosol and hydroxytyrosol acetate increased throughout the ripening process, however, there was not found a clear trend in hydroxytyrosol content. Minor constituents such as vanillic acid and p‐coumaric acid increased up to a maximum and then decreased, since vanillin decreased progressively throughout the time of harvest. 3,4‐DHPEA‐EDA and lignans were present in considerable amounts in the studied samples, while oleuropein aglycone was present in a low amount. Total phenol content and oil stability followed the same trend throughout the study, so a very good correlation was established between them. Total secoiridoids and, specifically, 3,4‐DHPEA‐EDA seemed to be responsible for oil stability. The pigment content decreased during ripening, and not a positive correlation was found between pigments and oil stability. Practical applications : The results can be used to determine the best time for harvesting in order to obtain olive oils with different phenols and pigment contents. This is important for sensory characteristics of the olive oils and also for olive oil stability.     

Influence of Water Deficit in Bioactive Compounds of Olive Paste and Oil Content

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different deficit irrigation treatments (control, regulated deficit irrigation [RDI]‐1, RDI‐2, and RDI‐3) on the phenolic profile of the olive paste and oil content. Irrigation treatments with more stress water led to a considerable increase in the phenolic compounds of olive paste, especially in oleuropein (60.24%), hydroxytyrosol (82%), tyrosol (195%), and verbascoside (223%) compared to control. A significant increase in the content of total flavonoids and phenolic acids was also observed for these samples. In virgin olive oils (VOO) elaborated from the most stressed olive trees (RDI‐2 and RDI‐3), a noticeable increase in phenolic substances with antioxidant properties (oleuropein, hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol, secoiridoid derivatives, and o‐vanillin) was observed. Consequently, water stress conditions improved antioxidant activity of VOO.     

Characterization and chemometric study of crude and refined oils from table olive by‐products

Table olive processing produces defective fruits and the conditioning operations give rise to solid by‐products which are processed to obtain oil. In this study, the most relevant characteristics of crude oils extracted from table olive by‐products were high average acidity values (4.5%, green olives; 8.1%, ripe olives), ECN42 values of 0.34 (green olives) and 0.10 (ripe olives), while 2‐mono‐palmitin averaged 0.92%. The overall content of sterols was 2257 mg/kg (green olives) and 1746 mg/kg (ripe olives), while the concentration of cholesterol was 36 mg/kg (green olives) and 19 mg/kg (ripe olives). The effect of refining was mainly reflected by a decrease in acidity and sterols. Although most characteristics were in agreement with the established regulation for olive oil, the overall trans fatty acid content, the low apparent β‐sitosterol content, and the relatively high cholesterol content prevented their inclusion into classes of crude or refined lampante or pomace olive oils, not even into the vegetable oil category. Therefore, the oils analyzed should be considered for non‐edible purposes. The physicochemical characteristics used for chemometric discrimination permitted discrimination among types of oils (crude, 100%; physically refined, 90%; chemically refined, 100%), elaboration styles (green and ripe olives, 100%) and cultivars (Gordal, Manzanilla, Hojiblanca and Cacereña, 100%), with the sterol composition being the most useful parameter for discrimination.     

Characterization of the Volatile, Phenolic and Antioxidant Properties of Monovarietal Olive Oil Obtained from cv. Halhali

Volatile and phenolic compositions of olive oil obtained from the cv. Halhali were investigated in the present study. Fruits were harvested at the optimum maturity stage of ripeness and immediately processed with cold press. Simultaneous distillation/extraction (SDE) with dichloromethane was applied to the analysis of volatile compounds of olive oil. Sensory analysis showed that the aromatic extract obtained by SDE was representative of olive oil odour. In the olive oil, 40 and 44 volatile components were identified and quantified in 2010 and 2012 year, respectively. The total amount of volatile compounds was 18,007 and 19,178 μg kg^?1 for 2010 and 2012, respectively. Of these, 11 compounds in the 2010 and 12 in the 2012 harvest presented odour activity values (OAVs) greater than 1, with 1‐octen‐3‐ol, ethyl‐3‐methyl butanoate, (E)‐2‐heptenal and (E,Z)‐2,4‐decadienal being those with the highest OAVs in olive oil. The high‐performance liquid chromatographic method coupled with diode‐array detection was used to identify and quantify phenolic compounds of the olive oil. A total of 14 phenolic compounds in both years were identified and quantified in olive oil. The major phenolic compounds that were identified in both years were hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol, elenolic acid, luteolin, and apigenin. Antioxidant activity of olive oil was measured using the DPPH and ABTS methods.     

Arabinosylated phenolics obtained from SO2‐steam‐pretreated sugarcane bagasse

A pentose‐rich hydrolysate fraction obtained by extraction of steam‐pretreated sugarcane bagasse was analysed with regard to dissolved phenolics. The liquid obtained after steam pretreatment (2% SO₂ (w/w) at 190 °C for 5 min) was divided into two parts: one containing dissolved compounds originating from hemicellulose (with xylose as the dominating compound), and the other containing predominantly dissolved compounds originating from lignin. Using nuclear magnetic resonance, the main dissolved compounds originating from lignin were identified as the glycosylated aromatics, 5‐O‐(trans‐feruloyl)‐L‐Arabinofuranose and 5‐O‐(trans‐coumaroyl)‐L‐Arabinofuranose, together with p‐coumaric acid and small amounts of more common free phenolics such as p‐hydroxybenzaldehyde, p‐hydroxybenzoic acid and vanillin. The phenolic compounds were analysed and quantified using reversed‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography. The findings show that SO₂ steam explosion opened up new degradation pathways during lignin degradation. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

Characterization of Turkish Virgin Olive Oils Produced from Early Harvest Olives

Olives were collected from various districts of Turkey (North and South Aegean sub-region, Bursa-Akhisar, South East Anatolia region) harvested over seven (2001–2007) seasons. The aim of this study was to characterize the chemical profiles of the oils derived from single variety Turkish olives including Ayvalik, Memecik, Gemlik, Erkence, Nizip Yaglik and Uslu. The olive oils were extracted by super press and three phase centrifugation from early harvest olives. Chosen quality indices included free fatty acid content (FFA), peroxide value (PV) and spectrophotometric characteristics in the ultraviolet (UV) region. According to the FFA results, 46% (11 out of 24 samples) were classified as extra virgin olive oils; whereas using the results of PV and UV, over 83% (over 19 of the 24 samples) had the extra virgin olive oil classification. Other measured parameters included oil stability (oxidative stability, chlorophyll pigment, pheophytin-α), cis–trans fatty acid composition and color index. Oxidative stability among oils differed whereas the cis–trans fatty acid values were within the national and international averages. Through the application of two multivariate statistical methods, Principal component and hierarchical analyses, early harvest virgin olive oil samples were classified according to the geographical locations categorized in terms of fatty acid profiles. Such statistical clustering gave rise to defined groups. These data provide evidence of the variation in virgin olive oil quality, especially early harvest and cis–trans isomers of fatty acid profiles from the diverse agronomic conditions in the olive growing regions of Turkey.     

Comparison of Two Analytical Methods for Assessing Antioxidant Capacity of Rapeseed and Olive Oils

The oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) and the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) methods were used for the determination of antioxidant capacities (AC) of rapeseed oils at different steps of technological process and olive oils. The mean ORAC and FRAP results obtained for rapeseed oils (1,106–160 and 552–95.6 μmol TE/100 g) were higher than for olive oils (949–123 and 167–32.1 μmol TE/100 g). Although, FRAP values were lower than ORAC values for all studied oils, there is a linear and significant correlation between these two analytical methods (r = 0.9665 and 0.9298, P < 0.0005) for rapeseed and olive oils, respectively). Also, total phenolic compounds in rapeseed oils and olives correlated with antioxidant capacities (correlation coefficient ranged between 0.9470 and 0.8049). The refining process of rapeseed oils decreased the total phenolics content and antioxidant capacities by about 80%.     

Bioactive Compounds of Portuguese Virgin Olive Oils Discriminate Cultivar and Ripening Stage

The presence of different bioactive compounds in virgin olive oil affects its nutritional, oxidative and sensorial properties. Phenolic compounds are olive endogenous bioactive compounds highly susceptible to degradation. Olive endogenous oxidoreductases, mainly polyphenol oxidases (PPO) and peroxidases (POD), may play an important role on the profile of bioactive compounds in olive oil by promoting oxidation of phenolic compounds. The aim of this study was to evaluate if changes on PPO and POD activities in olive fruits from two Portuguese cultivars (Olea europaea, cv ‘Cobrançosa’ and cv ‘Galega Vulgar’) are related with the composition of their olive oils, especially phenolic compounds. Pattern recognition techniques [principal component analysis (PCA), cluster analysis (CA), and discriminant analysis (DA)] were used for multivariate data analysis. Olive oils characterized by their FA composition were grouped by cultivar. When olive oils were characterized by their phenolic composition, green pigments, and enzymatic activities in fruits, they could be discriminated by olive ripening stage. Along ripening, PPO activity was only detected in the fruit mesocarp of both cultivars and POD activity was mainly detected in the seeds. The POD activity, as well as vanillin and gamma‐tocopherol contents in olive oil increased with the ripening index. Conversely, higher PPO activity in fruits at early ripening stages together with higher levels of total phenols, green pigments, beta‐tocopherol, hydroxytyrosol and p‐coumaric acid in olive oils were observed. The ripening stage of fruits showed to be a key factor on the amount and profile of bioactive compounds of olive oil.     

Unexploited Thapsia garganica,Orlaya maritima,and Retama raetam Seeds: Potential Sources of Unsaturated Fatty Acid and Natural Antioxidants

Total lipid contents, fatty acid compositions, phenolic profiles and antioxidants activities of seeds from Thapsia garganica, Orlaya maritima, and Retama raetam were investigated. The oil values were more than 26 %, except seeds of R. raetam (ca. 3 %). Unsaturated fatty acids accounted for the majority of the fatty acids (more than 75 %). Oleic and linoleic acid were the predominant fatty acids. Total phenolic compounds (24–104 mg GAE g^?1 DR), total flavonoids (4–102 mg QE g^?1g DR), total tannins (28–85 mg GAE g^?1 DR) and condensed tannins (0.62–131 mg CE g^?1 DR) were also determined. The antioxidant activities using different assays were evaluated. The predominant detected classes were the phenolic acids (42–85 %) and the flavonoids (11–48 %). The major phenolic acids were caffeic, trans‐4‐hydroxy‐3‐methoxycinnamic, p‐coumaric, and gallic acid. The predominant flavonoids were quercetin, luteolin, naringin, apigenin, and kaempferol. This study brings attention to the medicinal importance of these species as a source of oil and antioxidant molecules.     

Effects of Filtration on the Quality Properties of Extra Virgin Olive Oils during Storage

In this study, the effects of filtration on quality parameters, chemical characteristics, antioxidant activity, and oxidative stability (OS) of Turkish olive oils during the storage period of 12 months were investigated. The olive oil free acidity (% oleic acid per 100 g of olive oil) (free fatty acidity, FFA), peroxide values (PV) (meq O₂ kg⁻¹ oil), and UV spectrophotometric indices (K₂₃₂ and K₂₇₀ measurements) were used for evaluating the quality parameters of olive oils. α-tocopherol analysis, total phenolic content (TPC), total chlorophyll and carotenoid analyses, and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH•) radical-scavenging activity (RSA) assays were carried out. Chromatographic methods were applied to determine the fatty-acid and triacylglycerol (TAG) composition, the content of methyl and ethyl esters (FAEE and FAME), and the content of fatty acids of olive oils. Univariate and multivariate statistical methods were performed to evaluate results. Univariate data analysis results showed that filtration of Ayvalık, Memecik, and Domat olive oils had no considerable influence on quality parameters, antioxidant compounds, FAEE and FAME, antioxidant activity, and OS, except TPC (P < 0.05). A significant difference between the samples was determined regarding storage times of the olive oils. Principal component analysis (PCA) analysis revealed that olive oils were grouped according to storage periods of the olive oils regarding fatty-acid and triacylglycerol (TAG) composition while there was no clear separation among the samples according to the filtration process. However, qualitative and quantitative changes took place on minor and major components of olive oils during the storage period.     

Determination of Aroma Profiles of Olive Oils from Turkish Olive Cultivars

This study analyzed volatile aromatic compounds present in the oils of Turkish olive cultivars. The cultivars Gemlik, Ayval?k, Memecik, Domat, Uslu, Halhal?, Kilis ya?l?k, Nizip ya?l?k, Ha?ebi and Karamani were harvested from important Turkish olive‐growing locations, such as Bal?kesir, Bursa, Manisa, Ayd?n, Mu?la, ?zmir, Kilis, Mersin, Hatay and Gaziantep during the 2007–2008 and 2008–2009 growing seasons. Olive samples were collected in two harvest years, at almost the same maturity stage, and processed under the same conditions. Headspace solid‐phase microextraction (HS‐SPME) was used to analyze volatile aroma compounds in the olive oil samples. Forty‐seven compounds were characterized and quantified using gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry/flame ionization detector (GC–MS/FID). The most abundant identified compounds were trans‐2‐hexenal, hexanal and 3‐methyl‐1‐butanol. The trans‐2‐hexenal, hexanal and 3‐methyl‐1‐butanol contents of oil samples varied between 0.86–67.15, 3.93–61.82 and 0.48–84.74 %, respectively.     

Phenolic Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Monovarietal and Commercial Portuguese Olive Oils

Olive oil composition has been investigated using chemical approaches, since the composition has a direct impact on its quality and safety and it may be used for certification purposes. In this paper, eleven monovarietal and twelve commercial Portuguese olive oils were analyzed to determine spectrophotometrically their total polyphenol content, ortho-diphenols and antioxidant activity. The phenolic profiles of these olive oils were also studied by high performance liquid chromatography. The lowest phenolic content and antioxidant activity were observed for monovarietal olive oils, however, among these group, ‘Cobrançosa’ and ‘Redondil’ cultivars showed the highest values of these two chemical parameters. In commercial olive oils, the concentration of polyphenols, determined according to the Folin–Ciocalteu method, and the antioxidant activity (ABTS method) ranged from 97.37 ± 1.10 to 219.7 ± 1.50 mg GAE/kg of oil and from 387.2 ± 20.00 to 997.5 ± 30.90 µmol Trolox/kg, respectively. The study of the phenolic profile demonstrated that the highest concentrations of the most abundant compounds in olive oil (tyrosol, hydroxytyrosol and oleuropein) are present in commercial olive oils. The correlation coefficient between total phenolics and antioxidant activity was statistically significant (r = 0.95, p < 0.0001). The same was observed for ortho-diphenol content and antioxidant capacity (r = 0.94, p < 0.0001).     

Effect of storage of olive mill wastewaters on hydroxytyrosol concentration

This investigation was designed to determine the effect of olive mill wastewaters (OMW) storage on the continuous extraction of potentially high‐added‐value phenolic compounds from these effluents. Particular emphasis was made on the extraction of hydroxytyrosol, one of the major compounds occurring in OMW. The hydroxytyrosol concentration was constant in OMW supplemented with 10% ethanol during storage. However, with 5 and 0% ethanol, a noticeable increase was observed in the hydroxytyrosol concentration. At time zero, the main polyphenols detected in two samples of fresh OMW without ethanol addition were hydroxytyrosol, hydroxytyrosol‐4‐β‐glucoside, 3,4‐dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, p‐coumaric acid, ferulic acid, oleuropein, and some other unidentified compounds. After 5 months of storage, significant accumulation of hydroxytyrosol was observed. The corresponding concentration increased from 0.98 to 3.5 g/L for the OMW sample collected in November 2004 and from 0.77 to 3.1 g/L for the sample collected in January 2006. However, the concentrations of the other phenolic compounds were markedly decreased. Furthermore, it was deduced that the OMW storage facilitates the continuous extraction procedure and improves the extraction yield of hydroxytyrosol. This last parameter increased from 85.5 to 96.8%.     

Understanding degradation of phenolic compounds during olive oil processing by inhibitor addition

The aim of this work was to study, under different conditions, degradation of secoiridoids during extraction of extra virgin olive oil by following the effect of ascorbic and citric acid addition. Their effect was evaluated on oil obtained from both damaged olives and undamaged fresh olives. Addition of enzyme inhibitors to damaged olives during olive milling allowed us to obtain oil with a higher phenolic compound content. Conversely, addition of the same inhibitors to undamaged fresh olives, during oil milling, resulted in no significant improvement in the phenolic compound content of oil. A high presence of PPO was thus indirectly confirmed, as damaged olives were only found to be sensitive to action of inhibitors. Ascorbic acid was found to be more effective than citric acid in preserving phenolic compounds of oil. Trials on undamaged fresh olives confirmed occurrence of hydrolytic transformation phenomena for secoiridoids during extra virgin olive oil production process. In particular, the quantitatively most representative component for Frantoio cultivar was found to be 3,4‐DHPEA‐EDA. This compound may be considered a direct marker for the degree of transformation of secoiridoids during production process. Practical applications: The processing of undamaged olives resulted in the extraction of extra virgin olive oil with a higher phenol content. It could be indirectly inferred that a reduced activity of PPO caused a low secoiridoid degradation both before and after malaxation. Lightly scratched, overripe olives could be used in those markets where the addition of oxidation‐inhibiting substances is allowed. Using inhibitors can be suggested for olive washing step.     

Effect of olive fruit freezing on oxidative stability of virgin olive oil

Several studies have suggested that the phenolic fraction plays an important role during storage and therefore in the shelf life of virgin olive oil. This investigation examines the effect of freezing olives (–18 °C) before processing into oil on the transfer of the phenolic compounds into the subsequent oil, and the consequential changes in oxidative stability. Oil samples obtained from frozen olives (24 h at –18 °C), crushed with and without preliminary thawing, were compared to a control sample; both oils were obtained using a two‐phase low‐scale mill. The oxidative stability in different samples was assessed in terms of primary and secondary oxidation products as measured by peroxide values and oxidative stability index times, respectively. The quality of the oil samples was also checked through the percentage of free acidity and the phenolic content. Phenols were determined by both spectrophotometric assays (total phenols and o‐diphenols) and HPLC‐DAD/MSD. The antiradical capacity of the phenolic fraction was determined by DPPH and ABTS spectrophotometric tests. These analyses showed that thawing of olives before oil extraction led to a significant loss of oxidative stability and phenols; in contrast, samples obtained from frozen olives that were not thawed before crushing showed qualitative characteristics similar to control samples.     

Bioactive Compounds in Virgin Olive Oil of the PDO Montoro-Adamuz

Virgin olive oil (VOO) is generally recognized as a healthy fat because of its fatty acid composition and content in minor compounds but a wide range of these substances can be found in commercial oils. The concentration of compounds with attributed health benefits were analyzed in VOO of the PDO Montoro‐Adamuz. Oleic acid represented around 79 % of the total fatty acids, and the mean squalene and tocopherols concentrations were 5800 and 247 mg/kg respectively. Despite the changes found in polyphenols concentration in the oils analyzed for six consecutive crops, these substances accounted for more than 700 mg/kg. Moreover, the effect of irrigation regime and sun radiation on the content in bioactive substances of these oils was also assessed. No significant differences were detected between oils from trees irrigated ad libitum or rain‐feed. In contrast, the level of tree radiation exerted a great effect on the concentration of bioactive substances in oils. Oils from trees cultivated in a sunny area (south orientation) had a higher percentage of oleic acid and concentration in phenolic compounds than those from shady areas (north orientation). The opposite was detected for tocopherols and squalene which were more concentrated in oils from olives of the shady area. The results obtained in this study point out VOO of the PDO Montoro‐Adamuz as a very healthy fat due to their composition in bioactive substances, in particular their richness in phenolic compounds.     

Cherry leafroll virus: Impact on olive fruit and virgin olive oil quality

We performed a survey on the yield, quality, and chemical characteristics of virgin olive oils from two olive varieties in Croatian Istria: Frantoio and Ascolana tenera, on Cherry leafroll virus‐infected and virus‐noninfected trees and on two harvest dates. Free acidity, peroxide value, specific spectrophotometric absorptions at 232 and 270 nm, fatty acid composition, total phenols, o‐diphenols, oil color, and pigments were determined. Infected olives had lower oil yield and maturity index versus healthy ones. Oils from infected fruits had significant lower value of K₂₃₂ and K₂₇₀ and very elevated total phenols content compared to those obtained from healthy olives. Infected Frantoio gave a lower content of o‐diphenols than the healthy ones, which is in contrast to infected Ascolana that had higher values. The aim of this study is to determine the chemical changes in virgin olive oils from healthy and infected trees related to virus influence. According to our knowledge, this is the first survey on the possible influence of viruses on olive fruits, oil yield, and virgin olive oil quality. Practical applications : There are only few papers which analyze the influence of viruses on crops (especially influence on wine quality) and their effects on yield or other agronomic parameters. This work evaluates for the first time the impact of Cherry leafroll virus on the quality of virgin olive oil obtained from Frantoio and A. tenera varieties in terms of basic parameters related to the hydrolitic and oxidative status, content in antioxidant compounds, and in pigments as well as in fatty acid composition.