Estudio de la estabilidad del aceite de Sacha Inchi (Plukenetia volubilis L.) a diferentes condiciones de inhibición oxidativa

Abstract

Sacha Inchi oil is rich in unsaturated acids. Its main component is the alpha-linolenic fatty acid also known as Omega 3, in a percentage of 48.3 percent, followed by omega 6 linoleic acid with 35,7 percent. Linolenic acid due to its insaturations has a great chemical reactivity and is prone to saturation and transformation. This condition makes the stability of the oil lower and is considered as a factor that can generate the loss of nutritional value, forming a series of undesirable compounds. In this research the stability of the oil was determined applying four different conditions of oxidative inhibition. As control parameters studied were: bleachability index, acidity index, saponification index, relative density, melting point, heating loss and oxidative stability. Better stability results were obtained with the aplication of the artificial antioxidant BHT than with the natural antioxidant tocopherol however, the shelf life obtained with the natural antioxidant was 983 days, which promises sufficient time for its commercialization and use.