ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Assessment of the Climatic Condition’s Impact
on Volatiles, Polyphenols and Mineral Contents
in Tunisian Olive Tree (Olea europaea L.)
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1
Olive Tree Institute, Ibn Khaldoun BP 14, 4061, Sousse, Tunisia
2
Università di Pisa, Dipartimento di Farmacia Via Bonanno 33, 56126 Pisa, Italy
3
Faculty of Medicine, Monastir 5019, Tunisia
Submission date: 2020-09-25
Final revision date: 2021-02-07
Acceptance date: 2021-02-11
Online publication date: 2021-11-04
Publication date: 2021-12-23
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2022;31(1):219-230
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ABSTRACT
The severity of climate causes biochemical and nutritional changes in plants. Our study focuses
on the adaptation of the olive tree to the climatic conditions by the improvement of essential oils,
polyphenols and macro-elements synthesis in leaves, stems and roots of Meski, growing under various
bioclimatic zones of Tunisia (North, Centre and South). The mineral content was determined using
a flame photometer and the volatile components were analyzed by GC-FID and GC-MS. Meski cultivar
resists to severe climatic conditions, in maintaining its nitrogen content almost constant in leaf and
wood for all studied areas. Moreover, leaves showed richness in calcium and sodium than roots for
all areas. The GC-MS analysis of Meski leaves allowed the identification of fifty seven components.
The main constituents were (E)-β-damascenone, nepetalactone, geranic acid, (E)-β-damascone,
(E)-nerolidol, (E)-2-decenal whose levels varied significantly with climate conditions. In fact, to adapt
to the severity of climate, southern Meski leaves produced more essential oils and polyphenols than the
northern ones. Therefore, the increase of essential oils and polyphenols can be considered as a response
of the tree to surround aggressions and to oppose the oxidative stress that results from the severity
of climatic conditions, characteristic of the southern area.