A survey of ethanol content in virgin olive oil

16 Páginas.-- 4 FigurasEthanol is a substrate for the chemical synthesis of fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE) during storage of virgin olive oil whose contents are officially regulated. Given the impact that the ethanol content might have on the olive oil commercialization, the level of this metabolite has been studied in an array of olive genotypes representing the diversity available in olive (Olea europaea L.). Substantial levels of ethanol have been found in the oils of all genotypes under study. Moreover, increasing levels of alcohol dehydrogenase activity have been found during olive fruit ripening in good correspondence with the accumulation of ethanol in advanced stages of fruit maturation. The results suggest that ethanol has a ubiquitous character in the fruits of Olea europaea and, therefore, in all the oils obtained from them. Besides, their concentration seems to depend on the cultivar, ripening stage and climatology, not discarding the influence of the growing conditions. Data suggest that the application of olive oil regulation for FAEE levels should consider the presence of basal levels of ethanol in the oils, which are quite high in many cultivars.Funding for this research came from the OLEAGEN project of Genoma España and the project AGL2011-24442 from the Programa Nacional de Recursos y Tecnologías Agroalimentarias, both financed by the Spanish Government. The plant materials evaluated here were obtained from the cooperative breeding program carried out at the University of Cordoba, and at the Institute of Agricultural and Fishery Research and Training (IFAPA), Spain. We are grateful to Mar Pascual for her excellent technical assistance.Peer reviewe