Assessment of Bitterness Reduction on Green Olive by Using Plant Growth Regulators

This is the first study which is aimed to develop a new table olive production method with reduction of olive bitterness by keeping olives in plant growth regulator contained water. The hypothesis of this study was that plant growth regulator at low levels will accelerate the ripening of olives during these process bitterness of olives will reduce. Oleuropein was responsible from bitter taste of olives. According to previous studies during olive ripening oleuropein content of olives were decreased and it will cause reduction on bitterness of olives. Indole-3-acetic acid, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, gibberellic acid, ethephon and Signum (containing 267 g/kg boscalid and 67 g/kg pyraclostrobin) used individually in this study. Bitterness of olives was analyzed by oleuropein absorbance value and sensorial taste analysis with 2 day intervals until 8 days. There was no negative effect on color and tissue hardness value of olives but bitterness of olives did not reduce to acceptable level at the end of this experiment. Future studies should be focused on using of plant growth regulators especially chemical substances which had ripeness accelerator properties on olives to reduce the bitterness of olives