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The aim of this work was to characterize the pistachio oil of the Greek variety, “Aegina”, evaluate its various quality indices, and investigate the potential use of FTIR as a tool to discriminate different oil qualities. For this purpose, the antioxidant capacity, the tocopherol content and the oxidation and degradation of fatty acids, as described by k, Δk, R-values, and free acidity were evaluated using 45 samples from eight different areas of production and two subsequent years of harvesting. The antioxidant capacity was estimated using 2,2′-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid diammonium salt (ABTS) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl)hydrazine (DPPH) assays, and the tocopherol content was quantified through HPLC analysis. FTIR spectra were recorded for all samples and multivariate analysis was applied. The results showed significant differences between the oil samples of different harvesting years, which were successfully discriminated by a representative FTIR spectral region based on R-value, total antioxidant capacity, and scavenging capacity, through ABTS. A similar approach could not be confirmed for the other quality parameters, such as the free acidity and the tocopherol content. This research highlighted the possibility of developing a simple, rapid, economic, and environment friendly method for the discrimination of pistachio oils according to their quality profile, through FTIR spectroscopy and multivariate analysis.

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The study of flavors and fragrances is a topic of rising interest from both marketing and scientific perspectives. Over the last few years, the cultivation of avocados has accelerated in Greece, with production levels elevated by 300%. There has been increasing attention from a number of growers and consumers on avocado oil, the volatiles of which form a key part of consumers’ purchase decisions. A previously unevaluated Zutano cultivar was chosen for this study. Extraction of the pulp oil was performed during three phases of ripening using Soxhlet and ultrasound techniques. Headspace-solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) were utilized in order to analyze the isolated volatile fraction. At least 44 compounds, including mainly terpenoids (61.7%) and non-terpenoid hydrocarbons (35.9%), presented in the Zutano variety, while (1S,6S,7S,8S)-1,3-dimethyl-8-propan-2-yltricyclo[4.4.0.02,7]dec-3-ene (a-copaene) and (1R,9S,Z)-4,11,11-trimethyl-8-methylenebicyclo[7.2.0]undec-4-ene (β-caryophyllene) were in higher abundance. The composition of the volatiles was unaffected by the extraction techniques but was influenced by the ripening stage. Thus, during maturation, the volatile fraction fluctuates, with a significantly higher abundance of terpenoids during the fourth day of the ripe stage, whilst it decreases during over-ripening. These findings demonstrate that the Zutano variety can be used to produce an aromatic oil and hence could be used, among others, as an ingredient in cosmetic products.