COMPARISON OF Ω-3 AND Ω-6 FATTY ACIDS CONTENT IN VIRGIN OLIVE OILS FROM ITALIAN OLIVE CULTIVARS

Omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids are considered essential fatty acids: they are necessary for human health but the body cannot make them. Along with ω-3 fatty acids, ω-6 fatty acids play a crucial role in brain function, as well as normal growth and development. The Mediterranean diet has a healthier balance between these two essential fatty acids; in fact, it does not include much meat (which is high in ω-6 fatty acids) and emphasizes foods rich in ω-3 fatty acids, including whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, fish, olive oil, garlic, as well as moderate wine consumption.
In order to propose extra virgin olive oils particularly rich in alpha-linolenic acid and/or characterised by a lower ω-6/ω-3, in the present work we report the results obtained by analysing 110 monovarietal olive oils produced in south Italy. Drupes from the regions of Calabria and Basilicata were harvested during the crop year 2010/2011. On the basis of the observed values, the genotype would influence the fatty acid composition of the oil and then the ω-6/ω-3. From a nutritional point of view, the extra virgin olive oils that were richest in linolenic acid (ω-3) belong to the cultivars of ‘Augellina’ (1.04%), ‘Faresana’ and ‘Rotondella’ (1.0%) and ‘Cima di Melfi’ (0.86%) produced in Basilicata and ‘Scarpetta’ (0.58%), ‘Cerasa di Montenero’ (0.45%), ‘Ghiacciolo’ (0.42%) and ‘Majorca’ (0.41%) produced in Calabria.