Characteristics of Some Wild Olive Phenotypes (Oleaster) Selected from the Western Mountains of Syria

Abstract

This study presents the evaluation of some technological and production specifications of 20 selected wild olive (oleaster) phenotypes from Hama Province, western–central Syria. The analyses of oil quantity showed that the olive oil (OO) extracted ranged from 10.43 to 29.3%. The fatty acid composition determined by gas chromatography (m/m%, methyl esters), conforming to commercial standards, showed the percentages of palmitic (ranged 13.2–15.06%), stearic (2.27–4.2%), arachidic (0.42–0.7%), palmitoleic (0.73–1.25%), oleic (64.29–73.17%), linoleic (8.96–16.45%), and linolenic (0.23–1.6%). Our results suggest that, despite being in a harsh environment and lacking agricultural service, two wild olive phenotypes (WA4, WA6) are interesting since their fruits showed high-quality properties (fruit weight 2.16, 3.24 g; flesh 75.83, 86.2, respectively), high content of OO% (29.27, 29.01, respectively), and better fatty acid composition (oleic % 68.45, 66.74, respectively). This enables them to be a very promising introductory feature in olive genetic improvement processes. Thus, both phenotypes were adopted tentatively as inputs, the first for oil purposes and the second for dual purposes (oil and table olives). It will be important to further evaluate these promising phenotypes in terms of their OO minor compounds, as well as their ability to resist biotic and abiotic stresses.

The Ancient Olive Trees (Olea europaea L.) of the Maltese Islands: A Rich and Unexplored Patrimony to Enhance Oliviculture

“…Considering the quantities and the different phenol fractions found, it can be stated that some Maltese genotypes have important radical scavenging, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties [ 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 ]. The main phenolic compounds in the samples under investigation were secoiridoids and their derivatives, as has already been found in other studies [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 ]. The contribution of phenolic alcohols, such as hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol, of flavonoids with rutin and luteolin 7-glycoside and of acid phenols (particularly vanillic acid) was relevant.…”

“…The correlation between small fruit, low oil content and thin flesh in wild olive genotypes is well established. In fact, olives produced from wild olives usually have an oil content between 5 and 10% [ 37 , 38 , 39 ]. In this study, some genotypes, such as 2Mtarfa and 1Pembroke (both E2), showed very low oil values, at just over 2% of their fresh fruit weights, also as a consequence of the prevalence of the stone with respect to the pulp.…”