Rapid Estimation of Tocopherol Content in Linseed and Sunflower Oils-Reactivity and Assay.

The reactivity of tocopherols with 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) was studied in model systems in order to establish a method for quantifying vitamin E in plant oils. The method was optimized with respect to solvent composition of the assay medium, which has a large influence on the course of reaction of tocopherols with DPPH. The rate of reaction of α-tocopherol with DPPH is higher than that of γ-tocopherol in both protic and aprotic solvents.

Correlation of basic oil quality indices and electrical properties of model vegetable oil systems.

Model vegetable oil mixtures with significantly different basic oil quality indices (free fatty acid, iodine, and Totox values) were prepared by adding oleic acids, synthetic saturated triglycerides, or oxidized safflower oil ( Carthamus tinctorius ) to the oleic type of sunflower oil. Dielectric constants, dielectric loss factors, quality factors, and electrical conductivities of model lipids were determined at frequencies from 50 Hz to 2 MHz and at temperatures from 293.15 to 323.

DPPH assay of vegetable oils and model antioxidants in protic and aprotic solvents.

The rate of reaction of phenolic antioxidants with DPPH depends on solvent composition. The rate constants can differ by more than two orders of magnitude for the same phenolic compound. Reactions are faster in alcohols than in ethyl acetate that is used routinely for the analysis of antioxidant potential (AOP) of nonpolar samples such as vegetable oils.