Characterization of phenolic and volatile composition of extra virgin olive oil extracted from six Italian cultivars using a cooling treatment of olive paste

The effects of a cooling treatment of olive paste were studied to evaluate the impact of six Italian cultivars on the phenolic and volatile compounds of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) strictly related to its health and sensory quality. The EVOOs, extracted using a continuous industrial system (2.5 ton/h), exhibited a significant increase in phenolic composition of Frantoio, Gentile, Leccino and San Felice cultivars. Significant modifications of the volatile profiles were obtained; the sum of aldehydes, mainly represented by the concentration of (E)-2-hexenal, showed increases for all the cultivar processed, while the sum of alcohols and esters appeared to be more affected by the genetic origin of the olive cultivars and their varying enzyme specific activities related to the lipoxygenase pathway.