Evaluation of Phytochemical Indices and Quality Potential of Olive (Olea europaea L.) under the Influence of Genotype and Geographical Location

Subject Areas : Phytochemistry

Akram Salmani Ghahfarokhi ¹ , Mahdi Alizadeh ^{2 *} , esmaeil seifi ³ , Zohreh Karimi Lenji ⁴ , Khodayar Hemmati ⁵ , Hossein Fereydooni ⁶

1 - Horticulture department, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources, Iran
2 - Horticulture department, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources, Iran
3 - Horticulture department, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources, Iran
4 - گروه زیست شناسی، دانشکده علوم پایه، دانشگاه گلستان، گرگان، ایران
5 - Horticulture department, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources, Iran
6 - Agricultural Research Center of Golestan province, Gorgan, Iran

Received: 2025-07-09 Accepted : 2025-09-26 Published : 2025-11-09

Keywords: Olive, Genotype, Phytochemical indices, Geographical location,

Abstract :

This research, conducted in the year 2021, investigated the influence of genotype and environmental factors (climate) on the phytochemical characteristics of olive (Olea europaea L.) in two distinct phases. In the first phase, twenty olive genotypes - commonly cultivated in Iran - were evaluated for four key fruit characteristics, oleuropein content, total phenolic compounds, flavonoid content, and antioxidant activity. The study was carried out at the Olive Collection of the Gorgan Agricultural Research Center. The genotypes exhibited significant variation in phenolic compound and antioxidant capacity. The highest total phenolic content was observed in Mari and Coratina cultivars (78.5 and 62.5 mg/g, respectively), indicating their potential as rich sources of natural antioxidants. Mari and Shiraz showed the highest oleuropein concentrations (23.1 and 14.1 mg/g, respectively). Cultivars such as Conservalia and Direh generally demonstrated lower values across the evaluated traits. In the second phase, the accumulation of these phytochemical indices was assessed in two genotypes, Zard and Koroneiki, grown in three different regions: Isfahan, Gorgan, and Gonbad-e-Kavous. Results revealed that phenolic accumulation was higher in Gonbad-e-Kavous and Isfahan compared to Gorgan for both genotypes, while antioxidant activity was the highest in Gorgan. The lowest antioxidant activity was recorded in Zard genotype cultivated in Isfahan. These findings highlight that the chemical composition and concentration in olive tissues are strongly influenced by both genotype and climatic variables. This research emphasizes the importance of identifying superior genotypes and optimizing environmental conditions to enhance the nutritional quality of olives, thereby contributing to sustainable agricultural development.

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