Physiochemical Properties of Saudi Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Saudi extra virgin olive oil (SEVOO) is considered to be the best olive oil for its organoleptic characteristics, oxidative stability and chemical composition. It is practically the only vegetable oil that can be consumed directly in its raw state and contains important nutritional elements such as vitamins and oxidants. The objective of this study is analyze the chemical and physical properties of SEVOO. The SEVOO recorded an acidity value of 1.4%, iodine value of 88.4, saponification value of 192.7 and unsaponifiable matter of 14%. The Fatty acid compositions by GC analysis column is 30 m × 0.25 mm I.D. The SEVOO contains 62.8% of oleic acid, which is monounsaturated fatty acid and 12.4% of linoleic acid, which is polyunsaturated fatty acid. The main saturated fatty acid is palmitic acid (16.6%). Triacylglycerols (TAGs) composition by using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) from Waters C18 column, 4.6 μm×150.00mm from Waters. The functional group is determined using fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. However, the oil extracts exhibited remarkable physicochemical properties and could be useful as edible oils and for industrial applications.