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We have studied in this work the natural variability in Holm oak (Quercus ilex subsp. ballota) by analyzing acorn morphometry and chemical composition in 13 populations from the Andalusia region (southern Spain). Acorn morphometry showed statistic significant differences between the populations with a higher acorn weight, length, and diameter in the northern provenances (TJA, GSE, CTH, CHU, APS, and PCO), while the Southern provenances (RMA, SAA, CCO, BCA, and SCA) showed lower value that even decreased with the altitude. Acorn chemical composition also showed statistic significant differences between populations. Morphometry and chemical composition data were subjected to clustering analysis, and two major clusters were detected. This analysis showed that northern populations (CTH, TJA, SCA, CHU, PCO, GSE, and APS) showed a tendency to present values highest in acorn weight (5.42 g vs. 3.21 g); acorn length (37.21 mm vs. 28.73 mm); acorn diameter (16.12 mm vs. 13.79 mm); ash (1.88% vs. 1.55%); protein (4.82% vs. 4.38%); fat (12.55% vs. 9.92%); and oleic acid (66.93 vs. 66.4%). On the contrary, Southern populations (SSA, VJA, CCO, BCA, RG, and RMA) showed a tendency to present values lowest in sugar (10.28% vs. 11.25%); energy (20,076.71 kJ/kg vs. 20,149.26 kJ/kg); palmitic (16.11% vs. 16.39%) and linoleic acids (13.07% vs. 13.11%). The populations studied here seemed to integrate acorn morphology and chemical composition related to environmental conditions of the original provenances. These data have provided biochemical markers that help establish phylogenic associations between populations and also reveal potentially account as an alternative source for dietary nutrition.

A database of 352 near infrared (NIR) spectral data from Iberian pig liquid fat was used for the prediction of palmitic, stearic, oleic and linoleic fatty acids content. The results showed the excellent accuracy of NIR equations with coefficients of determination (r 2) reaching values close to 1 and standard error of cross-validation (SECV) values similar to the standard error in the reference method (SEL). The possibility of transferring the calibrations developed in one instrument to another NIR instrument, following the Shenk and Westerhaus standardisation algorithm, was examined. Two monochromator instruments were optically matched using four different standardisation sets of unsealed samples (Set A: one sample of Iberian pig liquid fat with a similar fatty acids composition to the average of the calibration set; Set B: 20 samples of Iberian pig liquid fat covering the range in optical density and fatty acid composition of the calibration set; Set C: oleic acid ; Set D: linoleic acid. The standardisation completed with Set A and Set B produced spectra on the satellite instrument which resembled spectra scanned on the master instrument. The standard error of the differences (SED) between the values predicted by the master and the satellite after standardisation were similar to, or even lower than, the standard error of prediction (SEP) values for the same samples scanned on the master instrument.