title: Composition of fatty acids in virgin olive oils from cross breeding segregating populations by gas chromatography separation with flame ionization detection.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent technological advances to improve the quality of virgin olive oil (VOO) have been focused on olive breeding programs by selecting outstanding cultivars and target progenies. Fatty acid (FA) composition, with special emphasis on oleic acid (C18:1) and palmitic acid (C16:0), is one of the most critical quality factors to be evaluated in VOO. For this reason, the profile of FAs is frequently used as a decision tool in olive breeding programs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A method based on gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID) was used to study the influence of genotype on the concentration of ten of the most important FAs in VOOs from target crosses Arbequina × Arbosana, Picual × Koroneiki and Sikitita × Arbosana and their corresponding genitors Arbequina, Arbosana, Koroneiki, Picual and Sikitita. For this purpose, a targeted approach was selected for determination of esterified FAs (EFAs) and non-esterified FAs (NEFAs) in a dual analysis by the same chromatographic method. A Pearson analysis revealed correlations between pairs of FAs, which allowed detecting metabolic connections through desaturation and elongation enzymes. An ANOVA test (with P < 0.01) led to identification of C16:0 EFA, C16:1 EFA and C18:1 EFA and also C16:1 NEFA and C18:0 NEFA as the FAs more influenced by cross breeding. Statistical analysis was carried out by unsupervised analysis using principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) to look for variability sources.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Crosses with a common genitor (Arbequina × Arbosana and Sikitita × Arbosana) were partially overlapped in the PCAs using the profile of FAs. The CA results revealed clear differences between Sikitita × Arbosana and Picual × Koroneiki crosses in the composition of the most significant FAs, while Arbequina × Arbosana was not properly discriminated from the other crosses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Analytical Chemistry, Annex C-3, Campus of Rabanales, University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain.|University of Córdoba Agroalimentary Excellence Campus, ceiA3, Córdoba, Spain.|Institute of Biomedical Research Maimónides (IMIBIC), Reina Sofía Hospital, University of Córdoba, E-14071, Córdoba, Spain.
authors.forename: Verónica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sánchez de Medina
authors.affiliation: Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute, Tal Amara, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Milad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: El Riachy
authors.affiliation: Department of Analytical Chemistry, Annex C-3, Campus of Rabanales, University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain.|University of Córdoba Agroalimentary Excellence Campus, ceiA3, Córdoba, Spain.|Institute of Biomedical Research Maimónides (IMIBIC), Reina Sofía Hospital, University of Córdoba, E-14071, Córdoba, Spain.
authors.forename: Feliciano
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Priego-Capote
authors.affiliation: Department of Analytical Chemistry, Annex C-3, Campus of Rabanales, University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain.|University of Córdoba Agroalimentary Excellence Campus, ceiA3, Córdoba, Spain.|Institute of Biomedical Research Maimónides (IMIBIC), Reina Sofía Hospital, University of Córdoba, E-14071, Córdoba, Spain.
authors.forename: María Dolores
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Luque de Castro
mesh_terms: D001947:Breeding; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D005410:Flame Ionization; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D031658:Olea / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D019301:Oleic Acid / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D000069463:Olive Oil / Q000737:chemistry*; D019308:Palmitic Acid / Q000032:analysis; D000069600:Plant Breeding; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; D000069463:Olive Oil; D019301:Oleic Acid; D019308:Palmitic Acid
keywords: GC-FID; cross breeding; fatty acids; genotype; olive fruits; segregating population; virgin olive oil