Comparing and Evaluating the Oil Composition of Olive Oil of 85 Olive Varieties in the Liangshan Region, China

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the quality and select the best varieties from 85 olive varieties in the Liangshan region, China, from the perspective of oil content, fatty acid, and triacylglycerol compositions. Although 85 varieties of olive oil showed no difference in the type of fatty acid composition and the distribution of triglycerides, they varied greatly in the oil content, the relative proportion of fatty acids, and triglycerides. Principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster and heatmap analysis clearly divided the 85 samples into three groups. Group A included 36 varieties and was characterized by high oleic acid, mono-unsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), eicosenoic acid, OOO (glyceryl trioleate), and OOL (1-oleic acid-2-oleic acid-3-linoleic acid glycerides) contents, but rare palmitoleic acid, SFA (saturated fatty acid), and POP (1-palmitic acid-2-oleic acid-3-palmitic acid glycerides) levels. Group B contained 9 varieties of olive, with the main characteristics of high oleic acid, linolenic acid, MUFA, MUFA/PUFA, SFA, and OLnO (1-oleic acid-2-linolenic acid-3-oleic acid glycerides) content, but low in linoleic acid, PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acid), PLL levels and ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Group C comprised 40 varieties, identified by high linoleic acid and PUFA levels but low ratios of oleic acid, MUFA, OOO, MUFA/PUFA, and the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Combined with the oil content (FW) (%) of 85 varieties, we suggested four distinguished varieties in Group A, namely Lechin, Coratina, Koroneiki, and Arbosana; three distinguished varieties in Group B, namely Picual, Ezhi, Cornicabra; two distinguished varieties in Group C namely Frantoio and Arbequina as the objects of large-scale cultivation by Chinese cultivators. More importantly, the obtained data also demonstrated that some locally bred specific varieties, such as Zhongze-3 and Yuntai, had interesting unsaturated fatty acids and had cultivation and popularization value in China.