RESUMEN
Synthetic antioxidants are known for their efficiency to improve vegetable oil oxidative stability. But owing to their harmful effects on human health, edible oil industry is seeking for safe and healthy natural antioxidants. The present work was setup with the aim of improving soybean oil (SO) oxidative stability by using saffron (Crocus sativus L.) stigmas collected in Morocco. Saffron stigmas were used as a natural antioxidant at various concentrations (0.2, 0.3, and 0.6%) in soybean oil compared to tocobiol (0.3%) as a synthetic antioxidant (the positive control). Performances of such natural and synthetic antioxidants were evaluated by measuring oil basic quality indices under accelerated storage at 60 °C for 12 weeks. Such indices consisted of free fatty acids (FFA), peroxide value (PV), anisidine value (p-AV), total oxidation value (TOTOX), UV extinction coefficients (K232 and K270), fatty acids composition (FA), and iodine value (IV). The obtained data show that there were significant (p < 0.05) increases in FFA, PV, p-AV, K232, K270, and TOTOX but no much variations were observed for FA and IV especially in saffron stigmas fortified oils across storage times. However, in the case of oils fortified with saffron stigmas at different doses, such an increase was of a lesser magnitude (for FFA, PV, p-AV, K270, and TOTOX) as compared to tocobiol. These outcomes were confirmed by principal component analysis with strong positive correlations (p < 0.001) among FFA, PV, p-AV, K232, K270, and TOTOX. The most important, for which determination coefficient R2 > 0.9, were modeled through simple regressions. In conclusion, saffron stigmas with the different doses performed better than the positive control (tocobiol) regardless of the storage time. It could be concluded that saffron stigmas are a promising natural antioxidant, alternative to synthetic antioxidants, to enhance the oxidative stability of edible oils.
RESUMEN
Oil oxidation is the main factor limiting vegetable oils' quality during storage, as it leads to the deterioration of oil's nutritional quality and gives rise to disagreeable flavors. These changes make fat-containing foods less acceptable to consumers. To deal with this problem and to meet consumer demand for natural foods, vegetable oil fabricators and the food industry are looking for alternatives to synthetic antioxidants to protect oils from oxidation. In this context, natural antioxidant compounds extracted from different parts (leaves, roots, flowers, and seeds) of medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) could be used as a promising and sustainable solution to protect consumers' health. The objective of this review was to compile published literature regarding the extraction of bioactive compounds from MAPs as well as different methods of vegetable oils enrichment. In fact, this review uses a multidisciplinary approach and offers an updated overview of the technological, sustainability, chemical and safety aspects related to the protection of oils.
