3
Use of MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and machine
learning to detect the adulteration of extra virgin olive oils
Figure 2. a) LDI MS spectra of a pure EVOO (red trace) and sunflower oil (blue trace). Right panel: expansion of the mass spectra
showing the region of representative TAGs of EVOO (red trace) and sunflower oil (blue trace). b) Expansions of the overlaid
mass spectra of EVOO (red trace), EVOO + 5% sunflower oil (blue trace), EVOO + 10% sunflower oil (green trace),
EVOO + 20% sunflower oil (orange trace), sunflower oil (purple trace), showing the variation of TAGs and their ratios.
P = palmitic acid; O = oleic acid; L = linoleic acid.
I.S. = internal standard.
Figure 2a shows a comparison between the TAG profiles of
an EVOO and a sunflower oil. It can be seen how, in EVOO
(red trace), naturally rich in palmitic (P) and oleic (O) acids,
the TAGs at m/z 881 and 907, i.e. most likely OPO and
OOO, are predominant. In sunflower oil (blue trace), highly
rich in linoleic acid (L), the most representative TAGs are
those at m/z 901, 903 and 905, i.e. most likely LLL, OLL
and OLO, respectively. In the oil mixture scenario (Figure
2b), the alteration of the natural TAG ratios in EVOO, e.g.
m/z 877/907, 881/907, 903/907 and 905/907, can be
observed. Interestingly, the TAG at m/z 901 (LLL),
characteristic of sunflower oil but not normally present in
EVOO, is revealed in the EVOO/sunflower mixtures even at
the smallest adulteration level.
MALDI analyses
Results and Discussion
% Intensity
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
m/z
600 650 700 750 800 850 900 950
907.770
881.742
577.440
905.733
643.529
855.752 617.521
903.767
905.803
577.496
907.770
877.723
881.737
639.523
643.542
615.559
% Intensity
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
m/z
860 870 880 890 900 910
907.770
881.742
905.733
879.734
855.752
903.698
903.767
905.803
907.770
877.723
881.737
901.734
[OPO + Na]
+
[OOO + Na]
+
[OLO + Na]
+
[OOO + Na]
+
[OLO + Na]
+
[OLL + Na]
+
[LLL + Na]
+
[PLL + Na]
+
EVOO
sunflower oil
I.S.
I.S.
DAGs a)
b)
TAGs
% Intensity
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
m/z
877 878 879 880 881 882
881.742
881.742
881.742
881.732
877.718
877.723
881.737
100% EVOO
EVOO + 5% sunflower oil
EVOO + 10% sunflower oil
EVOO + 20% sunflower oil
100% sunflower oil
% Intensity
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
m/z
901 902 903 904 905 906 907 908
907.770
907.770
903.768
907.761
905.724
903.759
901.726
903.767
905.803
901.734
907.770
100% EVOO
EVOO + 5% sunflower oil
EVOO + 10% sunflower oil
EVOO + 20% sunflower oil
100% sunflower oil
[PLL + Na]
+
[OPO + Na]
+
[LLL + Na]
+
[OLL + Na]
+
[OLO + Na]
+
[OOO + Na]
+
[PLO + Na]
+