The effects of cultivar and harvest year on the fatty alcohol composition of olive oils from Southwest Calabria (Italy)

The fatty alcohol (FAL) composition of olive oils produced in Southwest Calabria (Southern Italy) was analyzed over three harvest years 2005–2006–2007. Three autochthonous cultivars: Cassanese, Ottobratica, Sinopolese and seven allochtonous cultivars: Coratina, Itrana, Leccino, Nocellara Messinese,Nociara, Pendolino and Picholine were considered. Hexacosanol was always the main FAL occurring in theolive oil. The autochthonous cultivars were among those with the highest total FAL contents. Nevertheless,both autochthonous and allochthonous cultivars produced olive oil within the limit indicated by EU and IOCregulations. Cultivar affected the FAL content highly significantly or very highly significantly, whereas in a large part of the cases the harvest year did not influence the FAL content. Cultivar x harvest year influenced highlysignificantly or very highly significantly only C 22-OH, C23-OH, C24-OH, C25-OH, odd chain FALs and the ratio evenchain/odd chain FALs