Short-chain fatty acid formation during thermoxidation and frying

Formation and evolution of the short-chain fatty acids originated by oxidation and remaining bound to the parent triglyceride, specifically heptanoate and octanoate, were studied during thermoxidation of palm olein, conventional sunflower oil and high-oleic sunflower oil at 180°C, as well as in real used frying oils of unknown history collected by Food Inspection Services. Fatty acids were quantified by gas–liquid chromatography following transesterification of samples and using methyl nonanoate and methyl heptadecanoate as internal standards. Alteration level was determined through analyses of polar compounds and polar fatty acids. Results showed high correlation coefficients between short-chain fatty acids and polar compounds or polar fatty acids, thus suggesting that quantification of short-chain fatty acids is a good indication of the total alteration level in used frying oils.This study was supported by EC (Project AIR1-CT92- 0687) and by CICYT (Project ALI 91-0594).Peer reviewe