Role of Water and Selected Minor Components on Association Colloid Formation and Lipid Oxidation in Bulk Oil

This study investigated the influence of water content in combination with selected minor components including oleic acid, stigmasterol, α‐tocopherol, and Trolox on their association colloid formation as well as their impact on lipid oxidation in bulk corn oil. First, surface activity of each minor component was evaluated by determining the ability of these components to lower the interfacial tension between bulk oil and water. All components but α‐tocopherol were able to decrease interfacial tension of stripped oil. Second, the critical micelle concentration (CMC) of each minor component was determined in bulk oil with no water added and in the presence of 1000 ppm of water. In the bulk oil without extraneous water, we could not determine the CMC of minor components in the range of concentrations studied. However, in the presence of 1000 ppm of water, only stigmasterol could form association colloids at the CMC of 20 mmol/kg oil. Last, the effect of water content (400 and 1000 ppm) and minor components on lipid oxidation in bulk oil was studied by following the lipid hydroperoxides and hexanal formation during storage at 55 °C. Different water content did not significantly impact the lag time of lipid oxidation compared with the control. Interestingly, water caused prooxidant by decreasing the lag time of lipid hydroperoxides and hexanal formation in bulk oil containing oleic acid, stigmasterol, and Trolox compared with the control of each system. On the other hand, there was not significant impact of water on the antioxidant activity of α‐tocopherol, a lipid soluble antioxidant in bulk oil. This study highlights the impact of water content on the surface activity of minor components as well as on the oxidative stability in bulk oil.