Comparison of the oxidative stability of soybean and sunflower oils enriched with herbal plant extracts.

The present study was conducted to determine and compare the oxidative stability of soybean and sunflower oils using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). These edible oils were enriched with marjoram (Origanum majorana L.), thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.), and oregano (Origanum vulgare L.) extracts at three different concentrations and synthetic antioxidant (BHA). The fatty acid composition of studied oils was determined by gas chromatography mass spectrometry to evaluate the content of unsaturated fatty acids that are sensitive to oxidation process. Oil samples were heated in the DSC at different heating rates (4.0, 7.5, 10.0, 12.5, and 15.0 °C min-1) and oxidation kinetic parameters (activation energy, pre-exponential factor, and oxidation rate constant) were calculated. The results showed that the oxidative stability of sunflower oil samples enriched with oregano extracts and soybean oil supplemented with thyme extracts was improved compared to samples without the addition of herbal plant extracts and the synthetic antioxidant.