Validation of the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) parameter as a new index of quality and stability of virgin olive oil

The induction period (IP), determined using accelerated methods such as the Rancimat test, is a parameter that has been used to predict the shelf life of virgin olive oil. The oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) has recently been proposed as a quality index of virgin olive oil because it measures the efficiency of phenolic compounds in the protection against peroxyl radicals. This study aims to investigate relationships between the ORAC and IP values and proposes ORAC as a new parameter of virgin olive oil stability. The concentrations of phenolics, o-diphenols, tocopherol, β-carotene, lutein, and ORAC and IP values were determined in 33 virgin olive oils. Regression analyses showed that both ORAC and IP values correlate with total phenols and o-diphenols with highly significant indices, whereas the correlations of both ORAC and IP with tocopherols, β-carotene, and lutein were not significant. The ORAC values correlate with the IP values with low but significant indices (R=0.42; P<0.02). The results confirm the key role of phenolic compounds in accounting for the shelf life of virgin olive oil and suggest that the ORAC parameter may be used as a new index of quality and stability.     

Relationship between rancimat and active oxygen method values at varying temperatures for several oils and fats

Determination of oxidative stability of different edible oils, fats, and typical fat products was made using the Rancimat method and the active oxygen method. Induction periods (IP) were recorded under controlled conditions at 110, 120, and 130 ± 0.1°C for all products and over a range of 100–160°C for selected fats. A general oil stability evaluation industrial shortenings and vanaspati to be the most stable fats, with IP ranging from 10.00 to 15.47 h. Margarine and butter samples (IP, 4.98–6.04 h) were also found to show fair oxidative stability. Among the extracted and open-market salad-grade cooking oils, rapeseed oil (IP, 4.10 h) and soybean oil (IP, 4.00 h) showed the highest oxidative stability, whereas Salicornia bigelovii oil (IP, 1.40 h) was the least stable. The induction periods of typical fat products ranged from 2.59 to 9.20 h. CV for four determinations were <5.2% for shortening and vanaspati products and <4.3% for various vegetable oils, margarine, butter, and typical fat products. Rancimat IP values obtained at 110, 120, and 130°C were 40–46, 20–25, and 9–13% of active oxygen method values, respectively, corresponding to a decrease in Rancimat IP by a factor of 1.99 with each 10°C increase in temperature. Similarly, in the temperature range 100–160°C, an increase of 10°C decreased the Rancimat IP by a factor of 1.99     

Effects of Pinus pinaster and Pinus koraiensis seed oil supplementation on lipoprotein metabolism in the rat

The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of vegetal oils obtained from Pinus pinaster and P. koraiensis seeds on plasma lipoprotein levels and apolipoprotein (apo) gene expression in rats. These oils contain two particular fatty acids of the Δ5-unsaturated polymethylene-interrupted fatty acid (Δ5-UPIFA) family: all-cis-5,9,12-18:3 (pinolenic) and/or all-cis-5,11,14-20:3 (sciadonic) acids. Rats were fed for 28 d a diet containing 5% (w/w) oil supplement. Two control diets were prepared to match the fatty acid composition of P. pinaster or P. koraiensis oils with the exception of Δ5-UPIFA, which were replaced by oleic acid. Pinus pinaster seed oil decreased serum triglycerides by 30% (P<0.02), very low density lipoprotein (VLDL)-triglycerides by 40% (P<0.01), and VLDL-cholesterol by 33% (P<0.03). Pinus koraiensis seed oil decreased serum triglycerides by 16% [not statistically significant (ns)] and VLDL-triglycerides by 21% (ns). Gel permeation chromatography and nondenaturating polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed a tendency of high density lipoprotein to shift toward larger particles in pine seed oil-supplemented rats. Finally, P. pinaster seed oil treatment was associated with a small decrease of liver apoC-III (P<0.02) but not in apoE, apoA-I, or apoA-II mRNA levels. The levels of circulating apo were not affected by pine seed oil supplementation. In conclusion, P. pinaster seed oil has a triglyceride-lowering effect in rats, an effect that is due to a reduction in circulating VLDL.     

Microwave roasting effects on the physico-chemical composition and oxidative stability of sunflower seed oil

The purpose of the present study was to explore the influences of microwave heating on the composition of sunflower seeds and to extend our knowledge concerning the changes in oxidative stability, distribution of FA, and contents of tocopherols of sunflower seed oil. Microwaved sunflower seeds (Helianthus annuus L.) of two varieties, KL-39 and FH-330, were extracted using n-hexane. Roasting decreased the oil content of the seeds significantly (P<0.05). The oilseed residue analysis revealed no changes in the contents of fiber, ash, and protein that were attributable to the roasting. Analysis of the extracted oils demonstrated a significant increase in FFA, p-anisidine, saponification, conjugated diene, conjugated triene, density, and color values for roasting periods of 10 and 15 min. The iodine values of the oils were remarkably decreased. A significant (P<0.05) decrease in the amounts of tocopherol constituents of the microwaved sunflower oils also was found. However, after 15 min of roasting, the amount of α-tocopherol homologs was still over 76 and 81% of the original levels for the KL-39 and FH-330 varieties, respectively. In the same time period, the level of σ-tocopherol fell to zero. Regarding the FA composition of the extracted oils, microwave heating increased oleic acid 16–42% and decreased linoleic acid 17–19%, but palmitic and stearic acid contents were not affected significantly (P<0.05).     

Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in plasma lipids of obese children

Fatty acid composition of plasma phospholipids (PL), triglycerides (TG), and sterol esters (STE) was determined by high-resolution capillary gas-liquid chromatography in 22 obese children (age: 13.7±1.4 y, body weight relative to normal weight for height: 170±24%, mean ±SD) and compared with data obtained in 25 age-matched healthy controls. There were no differences in the levels of linoleic acid (LA, C_18∶2n-6) in any of the plasma fractions from the obese children and the controls. Obese children exhibited significantly higher values of arachidonic acid (AA, C_20∶4n-6) than controls both in PL (12.6 [2.4] vs. 8.3 [1.4], % wt/wt, [median (interquartile range)],P<0.001) and STE (7.3 [1.8] vs. 6.0 [1.1],P<0.05). Similarly, obese children showed higher values than controls for dihomo-γ-linolenic acid (DHGLA, C_20∶3n-6) in PL (4.0 [0.5] vs. 3.0 [0.6],P<0.001), TG (0.4 [0.1] vs. 0.2 [0.1],P<0.001), and STE (0.9 [0.1] vs. 0.7 [0.1],P<0.01), and for γ-linolenic acid (C_18∶3n-6) in STE (1.1 [0.2] vs. 0.8 [0.2],P<0.001). The AA/LA ratios were higher in obese children than in controls in PL (0.68 [0.16] vs. 0.42 [0.09],P<0.0005) and STE (0.16 [0.04] vs. 0.12 [0.02],P<0.05), whereas the AA/DHGLA ratios were lower in TG of obese children than in controls (3.40 [0.64] vs. 5.10 [1.75],P<0.005). Plasma glucose concentrations were inversely related to AA in TG (r=0.53,P<0.05), and plasma TG concentrations were inversely related to AA in PL and STE (r=−0.49,P<0.05 andr=−0.48,P<0.05) and to the AA/DHGLA ratios in PL (r=−0.57,P<0.01),TG (r=−0.56,P<0.01) and STE (r=−0.56,P<0.01). We conclude that the significantly higher values of n-6 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCP) in plasma lipids of obese children than in age-matched controls may be caused by an enhanced activity of Δ6-desaturation, and we speculate that elevated fasting immunoreactive insulin seen in obese children (19.4±8.0 μU/mL) may stimulate synthesis of n-6 LCP fatty acids.     

Application of arrhenius kinetics to evaluate oxidative stability in vegetable oils by isothermal differential scanning calorimetry

In this study, 10 different vegetable oils were oxidized at four different isothermal temperatures (383, 393, 403, and 413 K) in a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). The protocol involved oxidizing vegetable oils in a DSC cell with oxygen flow. A rapid increase in evolved heat was observed with an exothermic heat flow appearing during initiation of the oxidation reaction. From this resulting exotherm, the onset of oxidation time (T _o) was determined graphically by the DSC instrument. In our experimental data, linear relationships were determined by extrapolation of the log (T _o) against isothermal temperature. The rates of lipid oxidation were highly correlated with temperature. In addition, based on the Arrhenius equation and activated complex theory, reaction rate constants (k), activation energies (E _a), activation enthalpies (ΔH ^‡), and activation entropies (ΔS ^‡) for oxidative stability of vegetable oils were calculated. The E _a′, ΔH ^‡, and ΔS ^‡ for all vegetable oils ranged from 79 to −104 kJ mol⁻¹, from 76 to −101 kJ mol⁻¹, and from −99 to −20 J K⁻¹ mol⁻¹, respectively. Based on the results obtained, differential scanning calorimetry appears to be a useful new instrumental method for kinetic analysis of lipid oxidation in vegetable oil.     

Comparison of Two Analytical Methods for Assessing Antioxidant Capacity of Rapeseed and Olive Oils

The oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) and the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) methods were used for the determination of antioxidant capacities (AC) of rapeseed oils at different steps of technological process and olive oils. The mean ORAC and FRAP results obtained for rapeseed oils (1,106–160 and 552–95.6 μmol TE/100 g) were higher than for olive oils (949–123 and 167–32.1 μmol TE/100 g). Although, FRAP values were lower than ORAC values for all studied oils, there is a linear and significant correlation between these two analytical methods (r = 0.9665 and 0.9298, P < 0.0005) for rapeseed and olive oils, respectively). Also, total phenolic compounds in rapeseed oils and olives correlated with antioxidant capacities (correlation coefficient ranged between 0.9470 and 0.8049). The refining process of rapeseed oils decreased the total phenolics content and antioxidant capacities by about 80%.     

Oxidative stability of stripped and nonstripped borage and evening primrose oils and their emulsions in water

Oxidative stability of stripped and nonstripped borage and evening primrose oils and their emulsions in water was evaluated. The results indicated that column chromatographic techniques provide an effective means for stripping vegetable oils of their minor components. However, some minor components may be retained in the stripped oils. The minor components in borage and evening primrose oils significantly (P<0.05) influenced their oxidative stability in the dark. In contrast, the behavior of endogenous antioxidants in borage and evening primrose oil-in-water emulsions, according to the “polar paradox” theory, was difficult to evaluate. Correlations existed between peroxide value (PV) and conjugated dienes (CD) (P<0.05) as well as 2-thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) and hexanal content (P<0.01) for most oils and emulsion systems. Therefore, CD and TBARS may generally be used to assess the oxidative stability of borage and evening primrose oils and their oil-in-water emulsions in addition to or in place of PV and headspace volatiles, respectively.     

Conifer seeds: Oil content and fatty acid composition

The seed oils from twenty-five Conifer species (from four families—Pinaceae, Cupressaceae, Taxodiaceae, and Taxaceae) have been analyzed, and their fatty acid compositions were established by capillary gas-liquid chromatography on two columns with different polarities. The oil content of the seeds varied from less than 1% up to 50%. Conifer seed oils were characterized by the presence of several Δ5-unsaturated polymethylene-interrupted polyunsaturated fatty acids (Δ5-acids) with either 18 (cis-5,cis-9, 18∶2,cis-5,cis-9,cis-12 18∶3, andcis-5,cis-9,cis-12,cis-15 18∶4 acids) or 20 carbon atoms (cis-5,cis-11 20∶2,cis-5,cis-11,cis-14, 20∶3, andcis-5,cis-11,cis-14,cis-17 20∶4 acids). Pinaceae seed oils contained 17–31% of Δ5-acids, mainly with 18 carbon atoms. The 20-carbon acids present were structurally derived from 20∶1n-9 and 20∶2n-6 acids. Pinaceae seed oils were practically devoid of 18∶3n-3 acid and did not contain either Δ5-18∶4 or Δ5-20∶4 acids. Several Pinaceae seeds had a Δ5-acid content higher than 50 mg/g of seed. The only Taxaceae seed oil studied (Taxus baccata) had a fatty acid composition related to those of Pinaceae seed oils. Cupressaceae seed oils differed from Pinaceae seed oils by the absence of Δ5-acids with 18 carbon atoms and high concentrations in 18∶3n-3 acid and in Δ5-acids with 20 carbon atoms (Δ5-20∶3 and Δ5-20∶4 acids). Δ5-18∶4 Acid was present in minute amounts. The highest level of Δ5-20∶4 acid was found inJuniperus communis seed oil, but the best source of Δ5-acids among Cupressaceae wasThuja occidentalis. Taxodiaceae seed oils had more heterogeneous fatty acid compositions, but the distribution of Δ5-acids resembled that found in Cupressaceae seed oils. Except forSciadopytis verticillata, other Taxodiaceae species are not interesting sources of Δ5-acids. The distribution profile of Δ5-acids among different Conifer families appeared to be linked to the occurrence of 18∶3n-3 acid in the seed oils.     

Friction properties of vegetable oils

Vegetable oils are a renewable and an environmentally friendly alternative to petroleum-based oils in lubrication and other important application areas. Vegetable oils fall into two broad chemical categories: triesters (or TG) and monoesters. Most vegetable oils are triesters of glycerol with FA, whose characteristics are dependent on the chemistry and composition of the FA residues. A small percentage of vegetable oils are monoesters of long-chain FA and fatty alcohols of varying chemistries. In this work, the free energy of adsorption (ΔG _ads) of safflower (SA), high-oleic safflower (HOSA), and jojoba (JO), methyl oleate (MO), and methyl palmitate (MP) on steel were investigated. SA and HOSA are TG of vegetable oils with FA residues of radically different degrees of unsaturation. JO is a monoester vegetable oil. ΔG _ads is one of the major factors affecting the boundary friction properties of lubricant ingredients. ΔG _ads was found to increase in the order: HOSA≤SA<JO<MO≤MP. The results are consistent with the degree of functionality and other chemical properties of the oils studied.     

Effects of delta5 polyunsaturated fatty acids of maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) seed oil on the fatty acid profile of the developing brain of rats

Conifer (pine) seeds are a potential source of dietary oils, but their safety and nutritional properties are not well established. Conifer seed oils differ from common edible vegetable oils in having a series of unusual polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) with a polymethylene-interrupted (PMI) double bond system and a double bond at the Δ5 position. A rat study was conducted to assess whether Δ5 PMI-PUFA of conifer seeds could alter the levels of n−6 and n−3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) in mothers' milk and the developing brain of fetuses and pups. Feeding maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) seed oil (MPO) diet with a Δ5 PMI-PUFA content of 1.4 g/100 g throughout pregnancy and lactation resulted in a large incorporation of Δ5 PMI-PUFA in mothers' milk (5.1±0.5% of total fatty acids). The fetus (17 d old) and pup (22 d) brains, however, accumulated very little (0.6 and 0.4% of total fatty acids, respectively) Δ5 PMI-PUFA. Mother's milk and pup's brain of the MPO group contained normal levels of 20∶4n−6, 22∶4n−6, and 20∶5n−3 compared to a reference group of rats fed a fat blend of sunflower, high-oleic sunflower, and canola oils. The level of 22∶6n−3, however, was slightly but significantly (P<0.05) higher in milk and pup brain of the MPO group. These results show that Δ5 PMI-PUFA of MPO exert no negative effect on the levels of n−6 and n−3 LC-PUFA in rat brain during its early development.     

Liver desaturase activities and FA composition in monkeys. Effect of a low-protein diet

The aim of the present study was to measure Δ9-, Δ6-, and Δ5-desaturase activities in liver microsomes, as well as phospholipid FA composition of liver and erythrocytes in monkeys fed a control or low-protein diet during the postweaning period. Ten Saimiri sciureus boliviensis (Cebidae) of both sexes were employed; at 12 mon of age they were separated into two groups fed ad libitum on a control or a low-protein diet for 24 mon. Saimiri sciureus had active Δ9, Δ6, and Δ5 liver desaturase enzymes, and these activities were influenced by the diet. A low-protein diet produced a significant reduction in Δ5-desaturation capacity, an increase in Δ9-desaturase activity, and no change in Δ6-desaturase activity (P<0.05). These changes, evoked by protein deprivation, were reflected in the liver phospholipid FA composition. Increases in the proportion of saturated FA and in monounsaturated oleic acid (18∶1n−9) and a decrease in the proportion of PUFA of the n−6 and n−3 series were produced in the animals fed a low-protein diet (P<0.0001). Differences between the two dietary groups were less pronounced in the FA composition of erythrocyte phospholipids. The authors are members of the Carrera del Investigador del Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina.     

A new spectrophotometric method for the rapid assessment of deep frying oil quality

A new and quick spectrophotometric method was developed to assess deep-frying oil quality. The scanned spectrophotometric curves of the frying oil samples from 350 and 650 nm wavelength changed systematically with the duration of deep frying. The absorbances of the frying oil samples, especially those measured at 490 nm, increased significantly during frying and were significantly correlated to frying time (r ≥0.95, P<0.001). There was a strong correlation between the absorbances of a set of oil samples taken from 0 to 80 h of deep frying and total polar compound contents in the same set of oil samples analyzed using the American Oil Chemists' Society official method (r=0.974, P<0.001). The equation for conversion of the absorbances to total polar compound contents is y=−2.7865x ² +23.782x+1.0309. The absorbances of 10 different types of frying oils with samples taken from 0 to 80 h of deep frying in duplicate were also strongly correlated to total polar compounds in the same oil samples (r=0.953, P<0.001, n=220). The results show that this method is fast, simple, convenient, and reliable.     

Oxidative stability of structured lipids produced from borage (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Borago officinalis</Emphasis> L.) and evening primrose (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Oenothera biennis</Emphasis> L.) oils with docosahexaenoic acid

This study utilized γ-linolenic acid (18∶3n−6; GLA)-rich borage oil (BO) and evening primrose oil (EPO) for the synthesis of structured lipids (SL) and compared the oxidative stability of the products with those of unmodified BO and EPO as controls. Immobilized Novozym 435 lipase from Candida antarctica was used as the biocatalyst for SL production. BO or EPO eas enzymatically modified with docosahexaenoic acid (22∶6n−3; DHA), as the acyl donor, to produce SI. The SI were characterized and their oxidative stabilities evaluated. Among the oils examined, SL gave rise to higher quantities (P≤0.05) of conjugated dienes, TBARS, and headspace volatiles as compared to their unmodified counterparts. Results indicated that modified oils were less stable than their unmodified counterparts. The double bond index (DBI) and methylene bridge index (MBI) of oils decreased (P<0.05) during oxidation in the more unsaturated oils. An attempt was made to correlate various parameters of oxidation with DBI and MBI of oils; correlation coefficients (−r) were within the range of 0.574–0.973. This suggests that indicators such as DBI and MBI can reflect oxidative stability of oils.     

Use of α-tocopherol acetate to improve fresh pig meat quality of full-fat rapeseed-fed pigs

Thirty-two pigs were allocated to one of four diets, FFRD0 and FFRD200, containing full-fat rapeseed (FFR), 150 g/kg [25–50 kg liveweight (LW)], and 250 g/kg (50–90 kg LW), or CD0 and CD200, containing equivalent quantities of rapeseed meal and 34 g/kg (25–50 kg LW) or 59.2 g/kg (50–90 kg LW) coconut oil and lard (0.5:0.5, w/w). Diets FFRD200 and CD200 were supplemented with 200 mg/kg α-tocopherol acetate (ATA). ATA supplementation significantly (P<0.001) reduced muscle drip loss. The melting point (°C) of subcutaneous fat was significantly lowered by FFR (P<0.001) but increased by ATA supplementation (P<0.05). Tissue α-tocopherol (AT) concentrations were significantly increased by ATA supplementation. Longissimus dorsi AT concentration was positively correlated with AT concentration in subcutaneous fat (r=0.86) and in plasma at 35 (r=0.65) and 77 (r=0.85) days of feeding (P<0.001). In both L. dorsi and subcutaneous adipose tissue lipids, FFRD caused a significant (P<0.001) decrease in the ratio of n-6 to n-3 fatty acids and a significant (P<0.001) increase in the ratio of polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acids. AT supplementation significantly reduced the susceptibility of L. dorsi and subcutaneous fat to lipid oxidation during storage at 4°C for up to 16 d. For all dietary treatments and storage times, lipid oxidation [mg malondialdehyde (MDA)/kg muscle] was greater in the surface layer (0–2.5 mm) of L. dorsi than below the surface (2.5–5 mm). Oxidative stability of L. dorsi lipids to iron-induced lipid peroxidation was significantly improved (P<0.001) by AT supplementation. Meat from pigs fed FFRD diets was significantly less stable to iron-induced oxidation (nmoles MDA/mg protein) at the longer incubation periods (100 and 200 min). The susceptibility of L. dorsi to iron-induced lipid oxidation decreased as the ratio of the tissue concentration of AT to unsaturated fatty acid increased.     

Collaborative test of determination of iodine value in fish oils. 1. Reaction time and carbon tetrachloride or cyclohexane as solvents

Twenty-two laboratories participated in a collaborative test to determine the iodine value (IV) of eight samples of fish oil (four with IV<150, four with IV>150) with either carbon tetrachloride (AOCS Official Method Cd 1–25) or cyclohexane (AOCS Recommended Practice Cd 1b-87) as solvent and either 1 or 2 h of reaction time. Laboratories received coded duplicate samples (hidden duplicates) and carried out duplicate determinations on each oil by each solvent-time combination (open duplicates). Replacing carbon tetrachloride with cyclohexane resulted in a lower IV (P<0.001). The decrease averaged 1.6 IV units for low-IV oils and 3.8 IV units for high-IV oils; this difference in response of 2.2 IV units between low- and high-IV oils was significant (P<0.001). Increasing the reaction time had a relatively small effect (0.34±0.18). There was no interaction of reaction time with solvent or oil type. Cyclohexane caused emulsions, which made it difficult to titrate residual iodine and thus increased the variability of the determination. The repeatability standard deviations (s _r ), based on hidden duplicates, for 1-h reaction time with carbon tetrachloride and cyclohexane were 2.17 and 3.35, respectively. The corresponding reproducibility standard deviations were 2.73 and 4.53.     

Effects of dietary phenolic compounds on tocopherol, cholesterol, and fatty acids in rats

The effects of the phenolic compounds butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), sesamin (S), curcumin (CU), and ferulic acid (FA) on plasma, liver, and lung concentrations of α- and γ-tocopherols (T), on plasma and liver cholesterol, and on the fatty acid composition of liver lipids were studied in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Test compounds were given to rats ad libitum for 4 wk at 4 g/kg diet, in a diet low but adequate in vitamin E (36 mg/kg of γ-T and 25 mg/kg of α-T) and containing 2 g/kg of cholesterol. BHT significantly reduced feed intake (P<0.05) and body weight and increased feed conversion ratio; S and BHT caused a significant enlargement of the liver (P<0.001), whereas CU and FA did not affect any of these parameters. The amount of liver lipids was significantly lowered by BHT (P<0.01) while the other substances reduced liver lipid concentrations but not significantly. Regarding effects on tocopherol levels, (i) feeding of BHT resulted in a significant elevation (P<0.001) of α-T in plasma, liver, and lung, while γ-T values remained unchanged; (ii) rats provided with the S diet had substantially higher γ-T levels (P<0.001) in plasma, liver, and lung, whereas α-T levels were not affected; (iii) administration of CU raised the concentration of α-T in the lung (P<0.01) but did not affect the plasma or liver values of any of the tocopherols; and (iv) FA had no effect on the levels of either homolog in the plasma, liver, or lung. The level of an unknown substance in the liver was significantly reduced by dietary BHT (P<0.001). BHT was the only compound that tended to increase total cholesterol (TC) in plasma, due to an elevation of cholesterol in the very low density lipoprotein + low density lipoprotein (VLDL+LDL) fraction. S and FA tended to lower plasma total and VLDL+LDL cholesterol concentrations, but the effect for CU was statistically significant (P<0.05). FA increased plasma high density lipoprotein cholesterol while the other compounds reduced it numerially, but not significantly. BHT, CU, and S reduced cholesterol levels in the liver TC (P<0.001) and percentages of TC in liver lipids (P<0.05). With regard to the fatty acid composition of liver lipids, S increased the n-6/n-3 and the 18∶3/20∶5 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) ratios, and BHT lowered total monounsaturated fatty acids and increased total PUFA (n−6+n−3). The effects of CU and FA on fatty acids were not highly significant. These results suggest some in vivo interactions between these phenolic compounds and tocopherols that may increase the bioavailability of vitamin E and decrease cholesterol in rats.     

Sensory and chemical stability of tortilla chips fried in canola oil,corn oil,and partially hydrogenated soybean oil

The effects of canola, corn, partially hydrogenated soy (PHS), partially hydrogenated canola (PHC), and low-linolenate canola (LLC) oils on sensory and chemical attributes of tortilla chips were determined initially, after Schaal storage for 8 and 16 d (S8 and S16), and after practical storage for 16 and 24 wk (P16 and P24). Fresh chips were similar to each other in characteristic and off-odors/flavors, except that PHC chips had the lowest characteristic and highest off-odor/flavor. All S8 chips had similar lower (P<0.001) characteristic and greater off-odor/flavor scores than hidden reference chips, but PHC chips had a more intense off-odor than did LLC chips. After S16, canola chips had the lowest (P<0.001) characteristic and highest off-odor/flavor; all other chips were similar. At P16, canola, PHC, and LLC chips had slightly higher (P<0.001) characteristic odor/flavor scores than other chips. After P16 and P24, all stored tortilla chips had lower characteristic odor/flavor scores than hidden reference chips. Rancid, painty, buttery odor/flavor, and bitter flavor notes were detected in Schaal and practically stored chips. Stored chips from all oils were similar in color and crispness. The peroxide value and thep-anisidine value for oils extracted from Schaal-stored chips tended to support panelist data; results from similar analyses of practically stored chips did not. Peroxide values andp-anisidine values for stored used frying oils and the corresponding sensory data for stored chips generally did not agree. Results indicate considerable potential for increasing use of canola oil products for frying tortilla chips.     

Effects of β-carotene and lycopene thermal degradation products on the oxidative stability of soybean oil

The relative oxidative stability of soybean oil samples containing either thermally degraded β-carotene or lycopene was determined by measuring peroxide value (PV) and headspace oxygen depletion (HOD) every 4 h for 24 h. Sobyean oil samples containing 50 ppm degraded β-carotene that were stored in the dark at 60°C displayed significantly (P<0.01) higher HOD values compared with controls. Lycopene degradation products (50 ppm) in soybean oil significantly (P<0.05) decreased HOD of samples when stored in the dark. PV and HOD values for samples containing 50 ppm of either β-carotene or lycopene degradation products stored under lighted conditions did not differ significantly from controls (P<0.05). However, soybean oil samples containing 50 ppm of unheated, all-trans β-carotene or lycopene stored under light showed significantly lower PV and HOD values than controls (P<0.01). These results indicated that during autoxidation of soybean oil held in the dark, β-carotene thermal degradation products acted as a prooxidant, while thermally degraded lycopene displayed antioxidant activity in similar soybean oil systems. In addition, β-carotene and lycopene degradation products exposed to singlet oxygen oxidation under light did not increase or decrease the oxidative stability of their respective soybean oil samples.     

Review of stability measurements for frying oils and fried food flavor

Measurements of degradation in frying oils based on oil physical properties and volatile and nonvolatile decomposition products were reviewed. Rapid methods by means of test kits were also considered. Factors that affect the analysis of total polar components (TPC) in frying oils were examined. Relationships between TPC, free fatty acid (FFA) content, Food Oil Sensor readings (FOS), color change (ΔE), oil fry life and fried-food flavor were evaluated. Flavor scores for codfish, fried in fresh and discarded commercial frying oil blends, were dependent upon individuals in the consumer panel (n=77). Part (n=29) of the panel preferred the flavor of fresh fat; others (n=24) didn't; the rest (n=24) had no preference. FFA, FOS and TPC were analyzed in two soybean oils and in palm olein during a four-day period in which french fries were fried. Flavor score and volatiles of potatoes fried on days 1 and 4 in each oil were also determined. TPC, FFA and FOS significantly increased (P<0.05) in all oils during the frying period. TPC and FFA were highest in the used palm olein, and flavor of potatoes fried in palm olein on day 1 was less desirable than those fried in the soybean oils. Potatoes fried in day-1 oils had significantly higher concentrations (P<0.10) of several pyrazines and aldehydes than those fried in day-4 oils. Presented at the 84th Annual Meeting of the American Oil Chemists' Society, Anaheim, California, April 25–29, 1993.