LC-DAD/ESI-MS/MS characterization of phenolic constituents in Tunisian extra-virgin olive oils: Effect of olive leaves addition on chemical composition

- Four olive cultivars Chemlali, Chétoui, Zalmati and crossbreeding Chemlali by Zalmati were studied
- Different olive leaves amounts (0% and 3% w/w) were added prior the extraction process to enhance its nutritional quality.
- Phenolic compounds profiles were slightly influenced by the addition of 3% of olive leaves.
- Principal Component Analysis was applied to fully explore the influence of the studied factors.

The aim of the present research is to evaluate the chemical characterization of main compounds from Tunisian monocultivar extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) ('Chemlali', 'Chétoui', 'Zalmati' and 'crossbreeding Chemlali by Zalmati') extracted after the addition of different amounts (0% and 3%) of olive leaves. As expected for extra virgin olive oil, the main sterols found in all analyzed samples were β-sitosterol, ∆-5-avenasterol, campesterol and clerosterol. Stigmasterol, 24-methylene-cholesterol, cholesterol, campestanol, sitostanol, ∆-7-stigmastenol, ∆-5,24-stigmastadienol, and ∆-7-avenasterol were also found in all samples, but in lower amounts. Most of these compounds were significantly affected by the cultivars but not to be affected by added leaves at 3% to olives prior to the extraction process. The obtained results revealed that 14 phenolic compounds belonging to different phenolic types were characterized and quantified by an effective HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS method. In all the studied olive oil samples, dialdehydic form of elenolic acid linked to hydroxytyrosol (3,4-DHPEA-EDA), oleuropein aglycon (3,4-DHPEA-EA), and ligstroside aglycon (p-HPEA-EA) were the most abundant compounds. In addition, EVOO from 'Chétoui' cultivar extracted with 3% of olive leaves presented the highest amount of individual phenolic compounds.