Triglyceride, total and 2-position fatty acid composition of Cornicabra virgin olive oil:: Comparison with other Spanish cultivars

The main triglycerides (TG) found in the Cornicabra virgin olive oil variety samples analyzed (n = 224, from 1995/96 to 1999/2000 crop seasons) were OOO, SOL + POO, OLO + LnPP and OLA + SOO, as expected from the high oleic acid and low linoleic and linolenic acid contents observed for both the total and sn-2 position fatty acids (FA); these accounted for more than 85% of the total HPLC chromatogram peak area. Concentrations of most of the TGs and FAs presented highly significant statistical differences (p less than or equal to 0.001) among the four Spanish varieties studied. Principal component analysis and discriminant analysis (PCA and DA) suggested that the TG variables are more suitable than total and 2-position FAs for optimum classification of the commercial samples analyzed. Finally, PCA and DA showed that there are several combinations of TGs and total FA variables (from 3 to 5) which can be selected for satisfactory classification of the four Spanish virgin olive oil varieties studied, guaranteeing 90%-plus correct classification. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.