A New Laboratory Scale Olive Oil Extraction Method with Comparative Characterization of Phenolic and Fatty Acid Composition

The establishment of operation protocols for olive oil (OO) extraction at non-industrial scale is crucial for research purposes. Thus, the present study proposes a simple and cost-effective method for OO extraction at the laboratory scale (LS) level. To validate the proposed methodology, industrial OO extraction (IS) was performed in parallel, using the same cultivars 'Galega vulgar' (GV), 'Cobrancosa' (COB) and 'Arbequina' (ARB) collected from the same orchards, within the same period. Obtained results showed highest extractability for COB and ARB, of about 53%, while GAL showed 50%. All produced OO showed values lower than the regulated limits for the physicochemical parameters (acidity, K232, K268 and Delta K), classifying them as extra virgin OO (EVOO). Highest total phenolic content was observed for COB, with no significant differences (p-value > 0.05) between extraction methods. Regarding fatty acid composition, oleic acid (C18:1) showed the lowest percentage for ARB, with about 66% and 68%, for LS and IS, respectively, and the highest for GV with about 72% for both LS and IS. Furthermore, all samples from both extraction methods were compared to the European Community Regulation, with fatty acid composition within the regulated levels for EVOO. This work showed promising results regarding extraction yields and OO extractability, as well as its quality parameters.

Automated summary

This study proposes a simple and cost-effective method for laboratory scale extraction of olive oil (OO). Industrial scale extraction was performed simultaneously to validate the proposed method. The results showed that the extractability of OO was highest for the cultivars 'Cobrancosa' (COB) and 'Arbequina' (ARB), followed by 'Galega vulgar' (GV). All produced OO met the regulated limits for physicochemical parameters, classifying them as extra virgin OO (EVOO). The fatty acid composition of the samples from both extraction methods complied with the European Community Regulation for EVOO.