Minor polar compound and fatty acid analyses in monocultivar virgin olive oils from Tuscany

Virgin olive oil is a typical component of the Mediterranean diet, consumed unrefined and rich in important molecules, such as minor polar compounds (hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol, secoiridoids and flavonoids) and fatty acids. These molecules not only influence the sensorial properties of both olives and virgin oil but they are also important markers for typicity, biodiversity and quality determination of this product. The aim of this study was to evaluate the minor polar compound and fatty acid contents of 10 monocultivar virgin olive oils, typical of Tuscany, in order to have better knowledge about the quali-quantitative profiles of these compounds in samples obtained from both the same collecting season and same processing technique. Quali-quantitative analysis (performed by HPLC/DAD, HPLC/MS and GC) could be a useful too] to better correlate the typicity of the virgin olive oil with its minor polar compound and fatty acid pattern. Further studies are in progress to isolate the unknown compounds and to further investigate the quality index of this food product. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.