A straightforward quantification of triacylglycerols (and fatty acids) in monovarietal extra virgin olive oils by high-temperature GC

Abstract

The analytical characterization of the triacylglycerol (TAG) profile of samples which include ten Spanish monovarietal extra virgin olive oils (“Hojiblanca”, “Manzanilla”, “Picual”, “Picudo”, “Cornicabra”, “Lechin”, “Verdial”, “Empeltre”, “Blanqueta” and “Arbequina”) is reported. High temperature gas chromatography-(ionic trap)mass spectrometry, HTGC-(IT)MS, was employed for TAG profiling in olive oils. No sample treatment was required. For quantification purposes, a standard calibrant mixture, including all the previously identified TAGs in olive oils, was used. Results showed that triolein (27–50%) and 1,2-olein-3-palmitin (19–38%) were the most abundant TAGs in the analyzed samples, though their relative proportion changed between samples which corresponded to different varieties of olive oils. An estimation of the composition of main fatty acids (FAs) was also enabled in a simple approach from the TAG profiles. This analytical methodology for FA profiling in olive oil was validated by using two external olive oil reference materials. The results were found to constitute an approach, in a fast and easy way without using any derivatization reactions, to a conventional fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) gas chromatography method, when no high analytical performances are mandatory.