Pigments in Greek virgin olive oils: occurrence and levels

Fifty‐two samples of virgin olive oil from various regions of Greece were examined for the presence and levels of chlorophyll and carotenoid pigments using normal phase liquid chromatography and spectrometry. Pheophytin α (Pheo α) was the main pigment in all the oils examined (>10 mg kg−1 in more...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the science of food and agriculture 2001-05, Vol.81 (7), p.640-647
Main Authors: Psomiadou, Eleni, Tsimidou, Maria
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological and medical sciences
chlorophyll
Fat industries
Food industries
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Greek virgin olive oil
lutein
pheophytin
β-carotene
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Summary:Fifty‐two samples of virgin olive oil from various regions of Greece were examined for the presence and levels of chlorophyll and carotenoid pigments using normal phase liquid chromatography and spectrometry. Pheophytin α (Pheo α) was the main pigment in all the oils examined (>10 mg kg−1 in more than 70% of samples). Two pheophytin α derivatives (peaks A and B), eluted close to Pheo α, may potentially be used to examine handling conditions and length of storage of oil until analysis. Analysis of 25 Greek commercial oils obtained from retail stores verified the above observations. Chlorophyll α may be present in a virgin olive oil just after production. Its absence should not be exclusively attributed to cultivar characteristics or extraction conditions, since pheophytinisation occurs rapidly. Lutein content varied between 0.2 and 3.9 mg kg−1 and β‐carotene content from 0.4 to 5.1 mg kg−1. The lutein/β‐carotene ratio was characteristic (
ISSN:0022-5142
1097-0010
DOI:10.1002/jsfa.859