title: Sterolic composition of Chétoui virgin olive oil: Influence of geographical origin.
abstract: The sterol profile of Tunisian virgin olive oils produced from Chétoui cultivar, the second main variety cultivated in the north of the country, grown under different environmental conditions, was established by gas chromatography using a flame ionisation detector. More than ten compounds were identified and characterised. As expected for virgin olive oil, the main sterols found in all Chétoui olive oils were β-sitosterol, Δ5-avenasterol, campesterol and stigmasterol. Cholesterol, 24-methylenecholesterol, clerosterol, campestanol, sitostanol, Δ7-stigmastenol, Δ5,24-stigmastadienol, and Δ7-avenasterol were also found in all samples, but in lower amounts. Most of these compounds are significantly affected by the geographical origin. The majority of the Chétoui virgin olive oils analysed respected EC Regulation No. 2568, and in all cases total sterol amounts were higher than the minimum limit set by legislation, ranging from 1017 to 1522mg/kg. Two triterpenic dialcohols (erythrodiol and uvaol), were also detected besides the sterolic components. Their content was below the upper legal limit of 4% in all analysed samples, with a range from 1.2% to 3.2%. These results suggest that, besides the genetic factor, environmental conditions influence the sterolic fraction.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Caractérisation et Qualité de l'Huile d'Olive, Centre de Biotechnologie, Technopole de Borj-Cedria, BP 901, Hammam-Lif 2050, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Sonia Ben
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Temime
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Caractérisation et Qualité de l'Huile d'Olive, Centre de Biotechnologie, Technopole de Borj-Cedria, BP 901, Hammam-Lif 2050, Tunisia; Instituto Tecnológico Agroalimentario, Dirección General de Infraestructuras y Desarrollo Tecnológico, Junta de Extremadura, Carretera de Cáceres s/n, 06071 Badajoz, Spain.
authors.forename: Hedia
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Manai
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Caractérisation et Qualité de l'Huile d'Olive, Centre de Biotechnologie, Technopole de Borj-Cedria, BP 901, Hammam-Lif 2050, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Kaouther
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Methenni
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Caractérisation et Qualité de l'Huile d'Olive, Centre de Biotechnologie, Technopole de Borj-Cedria, BP 901, Hammam-Lif 2050, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Bechir
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Baccouri
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Caractérisation et Qualité de l'Huile d'Olive, Centre de Biotechnologie, Technopole de Borj-Cedria, BP 901, Hammam-Lif 2050, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Leila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Abaza
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Caractérisation et Qualité de l'Huile d'Olive, Centre de Biotechnologie, Technopole de Borj-Cedria, BP 901, Hammam-Lif 2050, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Douja
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Daoud
authors.affiliation: Instituto Tecnológico Agroalimentario, Dirección General de Infraestructuras y Desarrollo Tecnológico, Junta de Extremadura, Carretera de Cáceres s/n, 06071 Badajoz, Spain.
authors.forename: Jacinto Sánchez
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Casas
authors.affiliation: Instituto Tecnológico Agroalimentario, Dirección General de Infraestructuras y Desarrollo Tecnológico, Junta de Extremadura, Carretera de Cáceres s/n, 06071 Badajoz, Spain.
authors.forename: Emilio Osorio
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Bueno
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Caractérisation et Qualité de l'Huile d'Olive, Centre de Biotechnologie, Technopole de Borj-Cedria, BP 901, Hammam-Lif 2050, Tunisia. Electronic address: mokhtar.zarrouk@cbbc.rnrt.tn.
authors.forename: Mokhtar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zarrouk
keywords: Chétoui cultivar; Erythrodiol; Production area; Sterols; Uvaol; Virgin olive oil