Effects of sesamol, sesamin, and sesamolin extracted from roasted sesame oil on the thermal oxidation of methyl linoleate

This study investigated the effects of lignan compounds extracted from roasted sesame oil, which were sesamol, sesamin, and sesamolin, on oxidation of methyl linoleate (ML) during heating. These compounds were added at 500 or 1000 mg/kg to ML, and α-tocopherol was used as a reference antioxidant. The ML added with lignans or α-tocopherol was heated at 180 °C for 60 min. Thermal oxidation of ML was evaluated by conjugated dienoic acid (CDA) contents, p-anisidine value (PAV), and ML retention. Contents changes of lignan compounds or α-tocopherol in ML during heating were monitored by high-performance liquid chromatography. CDA contents and PAV of samples increased and ML decreased with heating time at 180 °C. Samples added with lignan compounds showed lower CDA contents and PAV but higher ML retention than samples without lignan compounds. The antioxidant activity of sesame oil lignan compounds in ML oxidation during heating tended to be higher than that of α-tocopherol. The contents of lignan compounds in samples decreased with heating time due to their degradation, but the degradation rates were lower than that of α-tocopherol. This study suggested that sesame oil lignan compounds be used as antioxidants in oil at high temperatures for deep-fat frying due to their higher effectiveness and stability than α-tocopherol.