Controlled‐Potential Electrolysis Antioxidant Effects on Edible Oils

ABSTRACT Thermal oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids occurs in edible oils during processing, shipping, storage, and consumer use. Numerous antioxidant strategies are employed to slow oxidation rates to preserve the healthfulness and flavor characteristics of these products. In these studies, a controlled‐potential electrolysis was applied to edible oils in the presence of thermal stress with to investigate antioxidant efficiency for unsaturated fatty acids. Initially, three edible oils (peanut, safflower, and vegetable soybean) were exposed to a controlled cathodic voltage of −0.6 V versus Ag/AgCl. Polyunsaturated fatty acid levels were measured via square‐wave voltammetry and gas chromatography with flame ionization detection. The controlled‐potential electrolysis at −0.6 V produced a decrease in oxidation rate for linoleic and linolenic acids for all oils evaluated. It was also observed that increasing the applied voltage reduced the antioxidant effect for unsaturated fatty acids and produced a pro‐oxidative effect at applied voltages higher than 0.0 V versus Ag/AgCl. These results suggest that a tailored antioxidant strategy for different oil blends may be feasible without the need for chemical additives. Practical applications : Polyunsaturated fatty acid oxidation remains an area of interest for researchers in diverse fields including human health and disease, functional food development, and seed oil processing. As such, novel strategies for reducing thermal oxidation of these high value fatty acids are a high priority. Controlled‐potential electrolysis represents a novel approach to preserving polyunsaturated fatty acids in applications such as seed oil processing and extraction or the batch frying processes in the snack food and restaurant industries.