## 2 Results and Discussion
### Profiling of Montespertoli EVOO
#### 2.2.1 Chemical, Sensory, and Nutritional Characterization
Among compound groups, the highest percentages were therefore those of alcohols, followed by ketones and aldehydes other than (\(E\))-2-hexenal, while ester contents were below 1%. These findings indicate that the oils of Montespertoli produced according to the protocol adopted in the project are characterized by (i) volatile profiles rich in LOX-derived VOCs and low in molecules associated with sensory defects; (ii) LOX-derived VOCs represented by (\(E\))-2-hexenal \(\geq\) 80%; (iii) ester contents! 1% of LOX VOCs; and (iv) LOX profiles characterized by the presence of 1-3% of 1-penten-3-one, (\(Z\))-3-hexenol, and (\(E\))-2-hexenol. Table 3 shows medium intensity for the main sensory attributes. With very few exceptions, oils' sensory profiles were consistent across the two production years and producers, with almond and artichoke being dominant notes. No sensory defects were detected, aligning with VOC profile. Table 4 presents the nutritional value measured in the oils using the NVS algorithm, taking into account phenolic compounds, tocopherols, and fatty acid composition [10]. All \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c c c c c c c c} \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**NVS**} & **EVOO** & **EVOO** & **EVOO** & **EVOO** & **EVOO** & **EVOO** & **EVOO** & **EVOO** & **EVOO** & **EVOO** & **EVOO** & **EVOO** \\  & **1** & **2** & **3** & **4** & **5** & **6** & **7** & **8** & **9** & **10** & **11** & **12** \\ \hline
**2024** & 88.3 & 89.1 & 88.0 & 87.9 & 75.0 & 86.0 & 90.1 & 90.4 & 93.3 & 86.5 & 89.0 & 85.0 \\
**2023** & 88.5 & 87.0 & 85.0 & 88.6 & 81.9 & 83.1 & 85.0 & 83.1 & 87.8 & 86.9 & 80.4 & 84.5 \\ \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 4: Nutritional Value Score (\(NVS\)) of the EVOOs produced across the two production years. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c c c c} \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**Sample**} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{**Defects**} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{**Fruitiness**} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{**Bitterness**} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{**Pungency**} \\  & **2023** & **2024** & **2023** & **2024** & **2023** & **2024** & **2023** & **2024** \\ \hline EVOO1 & - & - & 4.0 & 5.8 & 3.8 & 6.6 & 4.8 & 6.8 \\ EVOO2 & - & - & 4.1 & 4.4 & 2.9 & 5.2 & 4.9 & 5.7 \\ EVOO3 & - & - & 4.4 & 4.7 & 4.2 & 5.4 & 5.3 & 6.2 \\ EVOO4 & - & - & 4.3 & 4.3 & 3.7 & 3.7 & 4.6 & 4.6 \\ EVOO5 & - & - & 4.9 & 5.5 & 3.5 & 5.6 & 4.8 & 6.4 \\ EVOO6 & - & - & 4.0 & 3.7 & 3.4 & 4.1 & 3.7 & 4.6 \\ EVOO7 & - & - & 5.1 & 4.2 & 4.5 & 3.5 & 5.7 & 4.8 \\ EVOO8 & - & - & 5.1 & 4.1 & 4.2 & 4.3 & 5.2 & 5.3 \\ EVOO9 & - & - & 4.3 & 3.8 & 4.0 & 3.0 & 5.0 & 4.1 \\ EVOO10 & - & - & 4.5 & 4.9 & 4.7 & 5.2 & 5.5 & 5.6 \\ EVOO11 & - & - & 4.0 & 3.7 & 2.6 & 4.0 & 3.8 & 3.5 \\ EVOO12 & - & - & 4.1 & 4.2 & 3.3 & 4.4 & 4.0 & 5.0 \\ \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 3: Main sensory attributes of the EVOOs produced across the two production years. The column “defect” summarizes all the defects evaluated with the IOC official profile sheet (i.e., fusty/ muddy sediment, musty/humid/earth, winey/vinegary/acid/sour, frostbitten olives, rancid). oils scored above 80 in 2023 and above 85 (except one sample) in 2024, confirming the efficient combination of olive quality and processing protocol in enabling the extraction of health-promoting compounds.