A profile of olive oil composition depends on several variables that can be clustered into four large groups: climate, soil, olive ripeness and cultivar. Between 98% and 99% of olive oil is made up of triglycerides. The triglyceride structure is formed by one molecule of glycerol and three fatty acids. It also contain free fatty acids, the proportion of which is variable and depends on the extend of triglycerides hydrolysis.
But the fatty acid composition of olive oil varies according to variety climatic conditions and production location.
Phenolic compounds present in Olea europea L. belong to six main families of compounds: phenolic acids, phenolic alcohols, flavonoids (flavones, flavonols, flavanones and flavanols) isochromans, lignans and secoiridoids and their derivatives.
Among phenolic compounds, phenolic acids are those with the simplest form (benzoic acids and cinnamic acid derivative).
Olive oil has organoleptic characteristics that most other oils do not possess, such as fruity olive characteristics. The characteristics aroma of olive oils results from a complex set of over 100 volatile components at are found only in very small quantities.
Chemical composition of olive oil
