Comparison of solvent and microwave extracts of cranberry press cake on the inhibition of lipid oxidation in mechanically separated turkey

Cranberry press cake, an under utilized by-product of the cranberry processing industry is a potential source of food antioxidants. The objective of this research were (1) to prepare extracts from cranberry press cake using solvent extraction (SE) and microwave assisted solvent extraction (MASE), and (2) to test the ability of these extracts to inhibit lipid oxidation in mechanically separated turkey (MST). Water, ethanol and acetone were used as extraction solvents. Heating press cake prior to extraction with 70% ethanol increased antioxidant efficacy compared to extracting unheated press cake. Water extracts were least effective in inhibiting lipid oxidation. The most effective extracts were obtained by SE with 100% acetone or MASE with 100% ethanol. A poor correlation of 0.69 was obtained between the total phenols in the extracts and their ability to inhibit thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) formation in MST. The correlation coefficient between the amount of quercetin in the extracts and the number of days of TBARS inhibition in MST was 0.87. This indicates that although quercetin may be good inhibitor of lipid oxidation, polyphenols other than quercetin are likely have a role in the inhibition of TBARS in MST. For a similar yield of the extracts, MASE extract using 100% ethanol was a better inhibitor than 100% ethanol SE extract of lipid oxidation in MST. In terms of choice of solvent, based on their flammability and toxicity, MASE with 100% ethanol would be a more likely a choice over SE with 100% acetone, for inhibiting oxidation in MST.