Compositional Data Review of Monovarietal Argentinian Olive Oil.

LILIANA N. CECI; AMALIA A. CARELLI

Advances in Fats and Oil Research

Transworld Research Network, Editorial Research Signpost

Lugar: India; Año: 2008;

In the present chapter, a compositional data review of monovarietal extra-virgin olive oil from Argentina is performed. This appraisal includes fatty-acid composition, oxidative stability, and contents of sterols, waxes, tocopherols, pigments, total-polyphenols and erythrodiol-uvaol. Values are compared with international limits established by the International Olive Oil Council (IOOC) and the International Alimentarius Codex. Low oleic-acid contents and high linoleic-, palmitic- and/or palmitoleic-acid percentages are observed particularly for Arbequina oils in Catamarca and La Rioja provinces. Linolenic acid has values slightly over 1.0 % in oils from different varieties. Argentinian oils are adjusted to the international normative for total-sterol contents and erythrodiol-uvaol percentage. The oils from Arbequina, Arauco and Barnea in hot weather zones have campesterol over 4.0 % with values until 5.5 %. Some of these samples also show apparent sitosterol contents under the limit (93.0 %). In the new productive areas, a significant amount of oils from Arbequina, and some from Picual, have C40-C46 waxes in excess (>250 mg/kg). The high content of waxes in the oils outside the legal limits is evidently due to the augmentation of partially soluble waxes (C40-C42). Argentinian olive oils have tocopherol levels (167-463 mg/kg) that are among the highest reported in the literature. The contents of chlorophyll and carotenes are in accordance with the typical ranges found in olive oils. The total-polyphenol contents are very variable having values that ranges from low to high concentrations. The data review revealed a small number of characterization studies performed in Argentinian olive oils.  The continuous production increase and the addition of oils from new productive areas to the existent ones indicate the necessity to perform supplementary studies. Finally, the knowledge about typical compositional ranges from the olives grown in areas different to the Mediterranean region will contribute to the updating of market conditions and the review of international rules affecting trade in olive oils.