Characterization of monovarietal extra virgin olive oils from the province of Béjaïa (Algeria)

- An in-depth traditional chemical analysis of Algerian olive oils has been performed.
- A fingerprinting NMR analysis of the whole oils and their phenolic extract has been proposed.
- Some of the analyzed oils are of a very high-quality and they may constitute a good source of healthy compounds in the diet.

Olive fruits from 19 varieties and different areas of Béjaïa province (Algeria) were used to produce monovarietal olive oils in laboratory. The olive oils were analyzed using both traditional chemical analyses and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methodology. The investigation involved pigment content determination, tocopherol analysis, fatty acid composition, and chromatographic determination of phenolic compounds. Chlorophyll, carotenoids, tocopherols and the content of oleic acid turned out to be variety dependent. The extra-virgin olive oils (EVOOs) were analyzed as a whole and as phenolic extract by NMR. The study gave general indication on olive oil quality and information about geographical origin of the samples. Overall, the results obtained in the present work reveal that Algerian monovarietal olive oils produced in Béjaïa province have the potential to produce blends that may compete with other Mediterranean products.