New investigation of the isothermal oxidation of extra virgin olive oil: determination of free radicals, total polyphenols, total antioxidant capacity, and kinetic data.

As a follow-up of the research programs carried out by our group concerning the artificial isothermal rancidification process in extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), in the present work the trends of both the total antioxidant capacity and the total polyphenols concentration as well as the main kinetic parameters of the process during the thermal oxidation of EVOO were studied and compared. In addition, the possibility of evaluating the increase in radicals concentration during the thermal oxidation process using a superoxide dismutase biosensor was also studied. The present investigation concerning this important food product is highly topical as it refers to the state of alteration of the EVOO used for cooking or frying, as a function of the temperature reached.