Les varietats d'olivera a Catalunya

La principal varietat comercial que es cultiva a Catalunya és la varietat ‘Arbequina’, que suposa més del 50% del total de la superfície catalana d’oliver.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

ʻFargaʼ Olive

‘Farga’ olive is an old and important cultivar grown in southeastern Spain for oil production (17,000 ha). Yet, scarce research has been conducted on its horticultural and oil characteristics. ‘Farga’ trees are vigorous and resilient, having an open growth habit and dense canopy. The cultivar shows late and alternate bearing. ‘Farga’ rooting by semi-hard wood cuttings is difficult. ‘Farga’ is hardy and tolerant to moderate winter frost and is sensitive to peacock spot and olive fly, and resistant to bacterial tuberculosis. Due to high fruit removal force the tree is unsuited to harvest by shaking. ‘Farga’ identification using 9 microsatellites gave a unique allelic DNA profile. ‘Farga’ oil composition regarding fatty acid is highly monounsaturated (78% oleic acid) with low polyunsaturated content (7.5% linoleic acid). ‘Farga’ olive oil is highly stable and shows medium to high polyphenol content, rich in apigenin. Total sterols is medium-low, being β-sitosterol the most abundant. The EVOO profile of ‘Farga’ is mid to high fruited with green notes, with a tendency to produce oils with a large equilibrium. It is an EVOO highly interesting as a varietal or to produce blended oils.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Epicuticular Wax in Developing Olives (Olea europaea) Is Highly Dependent upon Cultivar and Fruit Ripeness

The epicuticular wax (EW) layer is located on the surface of most of plants organs. It provides the cuticle with most of its properties and is the primary barrier against biotic and abiotic stress. Despite the importance of Olea europaea cultivation, few studies have characterized the EW covering leaves and olives, which could be involved in resistance to both infection and environmental conditions. In the present study, wide-ranging screening was carried out using direct-injection electrospray ionisation coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry to analyse EW in developing olives of nine varieties. The proportions of EW fractions (wax esters (WEs), diacylglycerols, triacylglycerols (TAGs), triterpenic acids and aldehydes) strongly depended on the olive cultivar, and in only a few cases were they influenced by the sampling date. The specific compositions of the major fractions, WEs and TAGs, were strictly related to the cultivar, while the degree of unsaturation and the chain length of the WEs evolved throughout the four weeks prior to the olive colour turning

Survey of over 4, 500 monumental olive trees preserved on-farm in the northeast Iberian Peninsula, their genotyping and characterization

Inventorying, characterising and conserving on-farm ancient olive trees is a priority for safeguarding their genetic, natural and agricultural value and for protecting ancient genotypes threatened with extinction. In the “Taula del Sénia” (M-TdS) area (northeast Iberian Peninsula) a highly important cultural landscape has been preserved, in which the olive groves play an outstanding social and economic role: the ancient olive trees, sustained by many local farmers, constitute a living heritage and provide a clear example of High Nature Value (HNV). A total of 4526 ancient productive olive trees, with a trunk circumference (PBH) larger than 3.5 m, were inventoried and their spatial localization and biometric measurements were collected. 41 olive trees have shown the highest category in monumentality (PBH >8.1 m). The outstanding trees might be 634–1082 years old. The endocarp morphology of a representative sample of the most ancient trees from this settlement resulted in 14 different profiles. The ancient trees genotyped, through eight simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers, revealed 43 SSR profiles. The use of SSR enabled us to verify that most of the trees (98%) belong to the local cv. ‘Farga’, a male sterile variety with a rare chlorotype, only a few trees corresponded with other local varieties, ‘Morrut’, ‘Canetera’ and ‘Sevillenca’, and ten hitherto unidentified genotypes were distinguished, some with chloroplast lineages different from the ‘Farga’ type. The M-TdS area holds a unique living and exploitable heritage with the highest concentration of ancient olive trees worldwide. On-farm conservation of this germplasm by the community of local growers is enabling preservation of this important source of genetic variation, potentially holding traits of resilience and adaptation to adverse soil and climatic conditions, demonstrated by the survival of these trees over the centuries. Farmers have undertaken initiatives to valorize the olive oil deriving from these M-TdS trees.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Ripening-related cell wall modifications in olive (Olea europaea L.) fruit: A survey of nine genotypes

The production of olive (Olea europaea L.) is very important economically in many areas of the world, and particularly in countries around the Mediterranean basin. Ripening-associated modifications in cell wall composition and structure of fruits play an important role in attributes like firmness or susceptibility to infestations, rots and mechanical damage, but limited information on these aspects is currently available for olive. In this work, cell wall metabolism was studied in fruits from nine olive cultivars (‘Arbequina’, ‘Argudell’, ‘Empeltre’, ‘Farga’, ‘Manzanilla’, ‘Marfil’, ‘Morrut’, ‘Picual’ and ‘Sevillenca’) picked at three maturity stages (green, turning and ripe). Yields of alcohol-insoluble residue (AIR) recovered from fruits, as well as calcium content in fruit pericarp, decreased along ripening. Cultivar-specific diversity was observed in time-course change patterns of enzyme activity, particularly for those acting on arabinosyl- and galactosyl-rich pectin side chains. Even so, fruit firmness levels were associated to higher pectin methylesterase (PME) activity and calcium contents. In turn, fruit firmness correlated inversely with ascorbate content and with α-L-arabinofuranosidase (AFase) and β-galactosidase (β-Gal) activities, resulting in preferential loss of neutral sugars from cell wall polymers.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Effect of freezing, fast-freezing by liquid nitrogen or refrigeration to preserve premium extra virgin olive oil during storage

During storage, premium extra virgin olive oils (PEVOO), which are oils of exceptional sensory quality, may lose the organoleptic characteristics that define them. This study assessed the effect of applying modified atmospheres and low temperatures (refrigeration and freezing) on the quality of 4 PEVOO for 24 months. Also, the effect of two freezing methods was studied (in the freezer at − 20 °C and in a bath of liquid nitrogen), along with the impact of freezing on the quality of the oils after thawing and storing at room temperature. Official quality parameters, organoleptic assessment, phenolic compounds, volatile compounds and oxidative stability index were measured periodically. While no significant effect of headspace composition was found, the oils stored at − 20 °C maintained their initial quality better than the oils stored at room temperature. Physicochemical quality parameters remained unchanged throughout the 24 months at − 20 °C. Polar phenolic and volatile compounds associated with green and fruity aromas were better preserved at − 20 °C, which translated into a minimum change in the sensory profile of the oils. While no significant difference was observed regarding oxidative parameters, freezing at − 20 °C maintained the initial volatile and sensory profile of the oils better than freezing with liquid nitrogen. Lastly, quality of thawed oils showed no significant differences compared to control oils during storage at room temperature. In conclusion, storage at − 20 °C maintains the quality of PEVOO, especially their sensory profile, and does not compromise their quality after thawing

Subzero temperature storage to preserve the quality attributes of veiled virgin olive oil

This study evaluated the effect of using olive pomace acid oil (OPAO) instead of crude palm oil (PO) or refined olive pomace oil (ROPO) on lipid composition, lipid oxidation, and quality of chicken meat. Broiler chickens were fed diets with 6% of PO, ROPO, or OPAO, and deboned legs with skin were sampled. Fresh and refrigerated (commercial conditions; 7 days) chicken meat samples were assessed for fatty acid (FA) composition, tocopherol (T) and tocotrienol (T3) content, lipid oxidative stability, 2-thiobarbituric acid (TBA) values, volatile compounds, color, and sensory acceptance. Using ROPO and OPAO led to meat richer in monounsaturated FAs and OPAO to lower α-T levels compared to PO. Oxidative stability, TBA values, volatile compounds, and overall acceptance of meat were not affected by diet. Refrigeration increased TBA values and some volatile compounds’ concentrations, but it did not decrease redness or consumers’ overall acceptance. Therefore, the OPAO used was an adequate fat source for chicken diets at 6%, as it produced dark meat lower in saturated FAs than PO without affecting lipid oxidation or overall acceptance. According to this, upcycling OPAO as an energy source in chicken diets would be possible, which can contribute to the sustainability of the food chain. Keywords: edible oil refining by-product; upcycling; chicken feed; chicken diet; poultry meat quality; fat by-product; broiler meat; meat refrigeration; palm oil; olive pomace oi

Catalan virgin olive oil Protected Designations of Origin: physicochemical and major sensory attributes

Catalonia, located in the northeast of Spain, comprises five extra virgin oliveoil (EVOO) protected designations of origin (PDOs). Despite the proximitybetween them, these PDOs represent unique pedoclimatic conditions andtraditional olive cultivars that are briefly reviewed in the present manuscript.In addition to the compliance with quality standards fixed by productspecifications, EVOOs show singular and distinctive composition and sensoryprofiles. With the aim to describe the characteristics of Catalan EVOOs, theirsensory and analytical traits are reviewed with the support of data collectedbetween 2009 and 2017 in more than 42 milling facilities from the fiveCatalan PDOs, within the frame of official surveys launched by the CatalanGovernment.Practical Applications: A detailed knowledge of the characteristics ofdifferentiated-quality productions will favor their valorization and protection,improving their image and increasing the consumer confidence. For thisreason, studies to objectively define the characteristics of PDO EVOOs areuseful tools to promote this sector

Targeted metabolic profiling of the revived ancient ‘Corbella’ olive cultivar during early maturation

‘Corbella’ is an ancient olive cultivar whose cultivation has recently been revived and hence little is known about its composition. This is the first work studying the metabolic profile of ‘Corbella’ olives during early maturation. Olives with a ripening index (RI) < 1 yielded considerably less oil content (<40%) but had more concentration of phenolic compounds (148.41–219.70 mg/kg), carotenoids (9.61–14.94 mg/kg) and squalene (521.41–624.40 mg/kg). Contrarily, the levels of α-tocopherol were higher at the RI of 1.08 and 1.96 (64.57 and 57.75 mg/kg, respectively). The most abundant phenolic compound was oleuropein aglycone (>50% of the phenolic composition), suggesting a high hydrolytic activity of β-glucosidase in the fruit. The antioxidant capacity was barely affected, while oleic/linoleic ratio reached its highest at RI of 1.96. Therefore, olives with an RI below 2 could be good candidates to produce high-quality olive oils with good level of stability.This work was supported by CDTI [IDI-20210929] and Fundació Bosch-Gimpera [311463].We acknowledge PID2020-114022RB-I00 and CIBEROBN from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, ISCIII from the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, (AEI/FEDER, UE), Generalitat de Catalunya (GC) [2021-SGR-00334]. INSA-UB is Maria de Maeztu Unit of Excellence (grant CEX2021-001234-M funded by MICIN/AEI/FEDER, UE). Alexandra Olmo-Cunillera thanks the Ministry of Science Innovation and Universities for the FPU contract (FPU2018/03119). Mohamed M. Abuhabib is grateful for the predoctoral scholarship FI-SDUR (REU/551/2022) from the Agency of Management of University and Research Grants (AGAUR), Generalitat de Catalunya. Antònia Ninot and Agustí Romero-Aroca acknowledge financial support from the CERCA Program of the Generalitat of Catalonia. Anna Vallverdu-Queralt thanks the Ministry of Science Innovation and Universities for the Ramón y Cajal contract [RYC-2016-19355]. We would also like to thank Oli Migjorn for their collaboration and supplying the ‘Corbella’ olives, and the Scientific and Technological services of the University of Barcelona (CCiT-UB) for the UPLC-MS/MS equipment.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Ripening-related cell wall modifications in olive (Olea europaea L.) fruit: A survey of nine genotypes

The production of olive (Olea europaea L.) is very important economically in many areas of the world, and particularly in countries around the Mediterranean basin. Ripening-associated modifications in cell wall composition and structure of fruits play an important role in attributes like firmness or susceptibility to infestations, rots and mechanical damage, but limited information on these aspects is currently available for olive. In this work, cell wall metabolism was studied in fruits from nine olive cultivars ('Arbequina', 'Argudell', 'Empeltre', 'Farga', 'Manzanilla', 'Marfil', 'Morrut', 'Picual' and 'Sevillenca') picked at three maturity stages (green, turning and ripe). Yields of alcohol-insoluble residue (AIR) recovered from fruits, as well as calcium content in fruit pericarp, decreased along ripening. Cultivar-specific diversity was observed in time-course change patterns of enzyme activity, particularly for those acting on arabinosyl- and galactosyl-rich pectin side chains. Even so, fruit firmness levels were associated to higher pectin methylesterase (PME) activity and calcium contents. In turn, fruit firmness correlated inversely with ascorbate content and with α-L-arabinofuranosidase (AFase) and β-galactosidase (β-Gal) activities, resulting in preferential loss of neutral sugars from cell wall polymers.This work was funded by grant AGL2015-64235-R from the Plan Nacional de I+D, Ministry of Education and Science, Spain. CD is the recipient of a predoctoral scholarship granted by the Universitat de Lleida