Evolution of fatty alcohols in olive oils produced in Calabria (Southern Italy) during fruit ripening.

A study was conducted on olive oils extracted from olives collected in South West Calabria (Southern Italy) over three harvest years 2010-2011-2012. Three autochthonous cultivars were considered: Cassanese, Ottobratica and Sinopolese and seven allochtonous cultivars: Coratina, Itrana, Leccino, Nocellara Messinese, Nociara, Pendolino and Picholine. Thin Layer Chromatography - Gas Chromatograph (TLC-GC) technique permitted the separation and analysis of the fatty alcohol compounds. A general decline in fatty alcohol content was found during the three months of sampling, most evident in hexacosanol. Pendolino showed the greatest decline. A less evident decrease was measured in the odd chained fatty alcohols, mainly in heptacosanol. Both harvest date and cultivar significantly influenced the fatty alcohol content. This is the first report about the fatty alcohol variation during ripening in olive oil produced in South West Calabria (Southern Italy).