CHARACTERIZATION OF ANCIENT OLIVE GENOTYPES IN EMILIA-ROMAGNA REGION: MOLECULAR GENOTYPING, CHEMICAL AND SENSORY PROPERTIES OF MONOVARIETAL OLIVE OILS.

Abstract Ancient olive trees of Olea europaea L. present in the piedmont area of the Emilian Apennins (Italy) were assessed in the course of several years. In this research, seven old accessions from Modena, Parma, Piacenza and Reggio Emilia Provinces were evaluated by SSR markers followed by chemical and sensory characterization of monovarietal olive oils. As to the genetic analysis, 14 SSR markers were used; they produced a total number of 72 alleles that permitted the discrimination of the seven studied genotypes and their comparison with genetic profiles of national and international cultivars. Genetic relationships were estimated by the unweighted pair-group method with arithmeric averaging (UPGMA). By microsatellite analysis five genotypes were identified, one of which corresponds to cv. “Frantoio”, while cv. “Carolea” appeared genetically distant from the others. The comparison reveals that only the known cultivar Frantoio can be found within the studied accessions. Monovarietal olive oils produced by a low-scale mill allowed to analyse their chemical and sensory properties according to EC Reg. 796/2002. Some of these oils were distinguished for their elevated contents in total phenols, other samples were also interesting by their high contents in oleic acid, above 79%. Sensory analysis emphasized the aromatic peculiarities of some monovarietal oils, characterized by a relevant intensity of fruitiness, bitterness and pungency. Moreover oils were singled out for their particular flavours (almond, apple, artichoke and green notes), ascribable to the different genetic matrices of the mother plants.