Work was carried out on the characterization of monovarietal virgin olive oils (VOO)
from Tunisia and Sicily (Italy). The two main Tunisian VOO (cvv. Ch\ue9toui of the North and
cv. Chemlali grown in the Center and some regions of the South) and three principal
Sicilian VOO (cvv. Nocellara del Belice, Biancolilla and Cerasuola) were studied.
Moreover, the Ch\ue9toui oils were tested in a rain-fed control and an irrigation regime. All
olive samples were picked at three different stages of ripeness. Analyses of major
components (fatty acids and triacylglycerols) and minor ones (squalene, tocopherols
and phenolic compounds) were carried out. Ch\ue9toui oils had a higher level of phenolic
compounds followed by Chemlali. Generally, in the Sicilian oils these natural antioxidant
contents were lower. These preliminary results indicate that it was possible to
classify the Tunisian and Sicilian oils tested in their original growing area based on their
chemical composition
