Oxidative stability of dispersions prepared from purified marine phospholipid and the role of α-tocopherol.

The objective of this study was to investigate the oxidative stability of dispersions prepared from different levels of purified marine phospholipid (PL) obtained by acetone precipitation, with particular focus on the interaction between α-tocopherol and PL in dispersions. This also included the investigation of nonenzymatic browning in purified marine PL dispersions. Dispersions were prepared by high-pressure homogenizer. The oxidative and hydrolytic stabilities of dispersions were investigated by determination of hydroperoxides, secondary volatile oxidation products, and free fatty acids, respectively, during 32 days of storage at 2 °C. Nonenzymatic browning was investigated through measurement of Strecker aldehydes, color changes, and pyrrole content. Dispersions containing α-tocopherol or higher levels of purified marine PL showed a lower increment of volatiles after 32 days storage. The results suggested that tocopherol is an efficient antioxidant in PL dispersions or that the presence of α-tocopherol and pyrroles may be the main reason for the high oxidative stability of purified marine PL dispersions.