High-Throughput Phenolic Profiling in Virgin Olive Oil Using Fourier Transform Near-Infrared Spectroscopy: A Tool for...

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Chemistry
• Spectroscopy
• Plant Breeding

Background:

• Phenolic compounds are crucial for virgin olive oil (VOO) quality, health benefits, and cultivar identification.
• Traditional analysis methods like high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) are time-consuming and not suitable for large-scale genetic studies.
• There is a need for high-throughput analytical techniques in olive breeding programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate Fourier transform near-infrared spectroscopy (FT-NIR) as a rapid, high-throughput alternative for VOO phenolic profiling.
• To assess the predictive performance of FT-NIR models for phenolic compounds in VOO.
• To determine the heritability of phenolic compounds and the influence of genotype versus environment.

Main Methods:

• Development and calibration of Partial Least-Squares (PLS) models using a three-year dataset of VOO phenolic profiles.
• Inclusion of diverse genetic material from the World Olive Germplasm Bank and Spanish breeding genotypes.
• External validation of FT-NIR models using an independent dataset from four cultivars across four environments.

Main Results:

• FT-NIR models demonstrated strong predictive capabilities for total phenols and major secoiridoids (R²: 0.62–0.88, RER > 10).
• Variance analysis revealed genotype-driven variation for ligstroside aglycone and environmental influences on other phenolic compounds.
• FT-NIR derived phenolic estimates showed close agreement with laboratory results.

Conclusions:

• FT-NIR spectroscopy is a viable high-throughput tool for rapid phenolic evaluation in VOO.
• The technique supports efficient screening of olive genotypes for desirable phenolic profiles in breeding programs.
• FT-NIR facilitates the study of genetic and environmental factors influencing VOO phenolic composition.