title: In situ evaluation of the fruit and oil characteristics of the main Lebanese olive germplasm.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Very little information is available on the characteristics of the Lebanese olive germplasm. Therefore, the aim of this work was to evaluate the fruit and oil characteristics of the main Lebanese olive varieties (Aayrouni, Abou chawkeh, Baladi, Del and Soury) from two successive crop seasons (2010-2011).
  
  
  RESULTS
  All of the genotypes had medium-high oil content in the fruit, indicating their suitability for oil production; Aayrouni had particularly high values. The variety Abou chawkeh also had a high pulp/pit ratio, which is a very desirable trait in table olives. For all the varieties the values of free fatty acids, peroxide values, absorbances in ultraviolet, fatty acid composition, sterol content and composition and erythrodiol + uvaol content of the oils were within the requirements of the International Olive Council's Trade Standard for extra virgin olive oil. The only exception was for the values of Δ-7-stigmastenol in 2011 in Soury and, especially, in Baladi, which were higher than 0.5%. In some cases, stearic and arachidic acids fluctuated around the maximum values allowed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings of this study provide a first picture of the main characteristics of olives and oils currently produced in Lebanon. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.
authors.affiliation: LARI, Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute, Tal Amara Station, Department of Plant Biotechnology, P.O. Box 287, Zahleh, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chehade
authors.affiliation: LARI, Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute, Tal Amara Station, Department of Plant Biotechnology, P.O. Box 287, Zahleh, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Ahmad El
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Bitar
authors.affiliation: LARI, Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute, Tal Amara Station, Department of Plant Biotechnology, P.O. Box 287, Zahleh, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Aline
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kadri
authors.affiliation: LARI, Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute, Tal Amara Station, Department of Plant Protection, Zahleh, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Elia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Choueiri
authors.affiliation: LARI, Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute, Kfarchakhna Station, Kfarchakhna, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Rania
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nabbout
authors.affiliation: LARI, Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute, Tyre Station, Tyre, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Hiyam
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Youssef
authors.affiliation: LARI, Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute, Kfarchakhna Station, Kfarchakhna, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Maha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Smeha
authors.affiliation: LARI, Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute, Tyre Station, Tyre, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Awada
authors.affiliation: IAMB - Agronomic Mediterranean Institute of Bari, Via Ceglie, 9, 70010, Valenzano, (BA), Italy.
authors.forename: Ziad Al
authors.initials: ZA
authors.lastname: Chami
authors.affiliation: IAMB - Agronomic Mediterranean Institute of Bari, Via Ceglie, 9, 70010, Valenzano, (BA), Italy.
authors.forename: Eustachio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dubla
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze del Suolo della Pianta e degli Alimenti, Università degli Studi "Aldo Moro', Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trani
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze del Suolo della Pianta e degli Alimenti, Università degli Studi "Aldo Moro', Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Donato
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mondelli
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Borgo XX Giugno, 74-06121, Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Famiani
mesh_terms: D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D007861:Lebanon; D031658:Olea / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D000069463:Olive Oil / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D000069463:Olive Oil
keywords: Olea europaea L; arachidic acid; stearic acid; sterol composition; uvaol and erythrodiol; Δ-7-stigmastenol