title: Biosensor measurements of polar phenolics for the assessment of the bitterness and pungency of virgin olive oil.
abstract: Bitterness and pungency, sensory quality attributes of virgin olive oil, are related to the presence of phenolic compounds. Fast and reliable alternatives for the evaluation of sensory attributes and phenolic content are desirable, as sensory and traditional analytical methods are time-consuming and expensive. In this study, two amperometric enzyme-based biosensors (employing tyrosinase or peroxidase) for rapid measurement of polar phenolics of olive oil were tested. The biosensor was constructed using disposable screen-printed carbon electrodes with the enzyme as biorecognition element. The sensor was coupled with a simple extraction procedure and optimized for use in flow injection analysis. The performance of the biosensor was assessed by measuring a set of virgin olive oils and comparing the results with data obtained by the reference HPLC method and sensory scores. The correlations between the tyrosinase- and peroxidase-based biosensors and phenolic content in the samples were high (r = 0.82 and 0.87, respectively), which, together with a good repeatability (rsd = 6%), suggests that these biosensors may represent a promising tool in the analysis of the total content of phenolics in virgin olive oils. The correlation with sensory quality attributes of virgin olive oil was lower, which illustrates the complexity of sensory perception. The two biosensors possessed different specificities toward different groups of phenolics, affecting bitterness and pungency prediction. The peroxidase-based biosensor showed a significant correlation (r = 0.66) with pungency.
authors.affiliation: Unilever R&D Vlaardingen, Olivier van Noortlaan 120, 3133 AT Vlaardingen, The Netherlands. johanneke.busch@unilever.com
authors.forename: Johanneke L H C
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Busch
authors.forename: Karel
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hrncirik
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bulukin
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Boucon
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mascini
mesh_terms: D015374:Biosensing Techniques; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D017022:Flow Injection Analysis; D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase; D009812:Odorants / Q000032:analysis*; D000069463:Olive Oil; D009195:Peroxidase; D010636:Phenols / Q000032:analysis*; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000737:chemistry*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013649:Taste
chemical_list: D000069463:Olive Oil; D010636:Phenols; D010938:Plant Oils; D009195:Peroxidase; D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase