Bambina cultivar, a minor Apulian variety: Maturation profile, composition of drupes and chemical characterization of virgin oil

Despite the great number of minor and local olive cultivars, oil extraction at industrial level is carried out mainly using few major varieties. Biodiversity is one of the strength point of olive oil sector to characterize, distinguish, and valorise olive oil productions. In this study, we report the maturation pattern of the drupes and characterize the virgin olive oil obtained from Bambina cultivar, a local variety from Gravina di Puglia, in province of Bari. The name of the cultivar, which means “child”, should arise from the ancient use of its oil, appreciate by child because only slightly bitter and pungent. Nonetheless, it is characterized by high total phenolic content. The obtained results support the traditional and local knowledge and gave one first scientific explanation of it. Indeed, despite the significant content of phenols (about 400 mg kg-1) oleochantal, main responsible of pungent taste, represents about 1% of the total phenols. On the contrary, great amount of flavonoids has been detected. Remarkable is also the content of other lipophilic antioxidants, tocopherols and carotenoids.