Triglyceride, total and 2-position fatty acid composition of Cornicabra virgin olive oil: Comparison with other Spanish cultivars

The main triglycerides (TG) found in the Cornicabra virgin olive oil variety samples analyzed (n=224, from 1995/96 to 1999/2000 crop seasons) were OOO, SOL + POO, OLO + LnPP and OLA + SOO, as expected from the high oleic acid and low linoleic and linolenic acid contents observed for both the total and sn-2 position fatty acids (FA); these accounted for more than 85% of the total HPLC chromatogram peak area. Concentrations of most of the TGs and FAs presented highly significant statistical differences (p⩽0.001) among the four Spanish varieties studied. Principal component analysis and discriminant analysis (PCA and DA) suggested that the TG variables are more suitable than total and 2-position FAs for optimum classification of the commercial samples analyzed. Finally, PCA and DA showed that there are several combinations of TGs and total FA variables (from 3 to 5) which can be selected for satisfactory classification of the four Spanish virgin olive oil varieties studied, guaranteeing 90%-plus correct classification.