engleski

Fatty acid and triacylglycerol profile of Levantinka virgin olive oil

The scientific work on the authenticity and quality of olive oil is an ever-growing area. In the last decade great attention has been focused on characterization of monovarietal virgin olive oils in order to protect and preserve olive biodiversity in major olive growing countries, as well as in Croatia. Virgin olive oil (VOO) contains about 98% neutral lipids, mainly triglycerides (96-97%), a small quantity of diglycerides (1-2%) and a variable quantity of free fatty acids, which are used as a marker of oil quality. The object of this study is to explore the possibilities of different chemical parameters, normally determined in olive oil analysis, to differentiate and classify olive oil samples of different origin, in order to confirm the authenticity of Levantinka VOOs, one of the most common autochthonous olive cultivar in the Dalmatia region. The paper describes characteristics of virgin olive oils coming from three different geographic origins, i.e. Kaštela, island Korčula and island Brač. Main chemical quality parameters were evaluated (free fatty acids, peroxide value and UV-spectrophotometric oxidation indexes (K232 and K270), as well as analyses of fatty acid and triglyceride composition, as one of authenticity parameters of olive oil were also evaluated according to international analytical methods. Some of the most important relationships of fatty acids in olive oil are described, by which it essentially differs from other vegetable oils (proportion of oleic and linoleic).

authenticity; fatty acids; quality; triglycerides; virgin olive oil

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