Classification of monovarietal Sardinian Extra Virgin Olive Oils by 1H NMR Metabolomic Approach

The chemical composition affects the sensory properties and quality of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
(EVOO). In addition, its knowledge can supply valuable information about the cultivar and its
geographical origin. The goal of this study is to obtain a protocol in order to be able to recognize the
composition of various Sardinian oils and to consequently correlate them with their production areas.
High-resolution 1H NMR spectroscopy was used to analyse 100 (82 training + 18 test sets) samples
of EVOO from the Bosana cultivar, collected from different growing areas in Sardinia (Italy). Growth
areas were classified on the basis of FAO-UNEP aridity index. NMR data were processed with
multivariate statistical analysis. NMR profiling presented a connection between environmental
factors of Sardinian cultivation areas and the chemical composition of EVOO. An NMR-based
metabolomic approach that used six “one-to-one” OPLS-DA models allowed us to discriminate the
different influence of evapotranspiration, solar exposure and altitude on the chemical composition of
Bosana EVOO.Practical applications: Detailed knowledge of NMR spectra pattern variations could have a
potential impact on olive oil market. The application of the 1H NMR metabolomic, based on
chemometric models, can be a useful tool in order to certificate the geographical origin of EVOO.