Volatile profiles of rapeseed oil flavored with basil, oregano and thyme as a function of flavoring conditions

The flavoring of oils with herbs gives a specific taste and aroma to the oils and may increase their antimicrobial and antioxidant activity. The volatile aroma compounds in flavored rapeseed oil were studied as a function of flavoring conditions, by means of headspace solid-phase microextraction (SPME) followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. Rapeseed oils were flavored with dried basil, oregano, and thyme at two different concentrations (3 and 6%) and were heated at different temperatures and for various time intervals, followed by filtration. In the headspace of flavored oils, the main volatiles of the dried herbs were detected. In general, the share of monoterpenes in the headspace of flavored oil was higher than in the original dried herbs, while sesquiterpenes and phenolic compounds were detected to a considerably lower extent in the oil than in the herbs. The concentrations of the volatiles detected in the oil increased with increasing heating time and temperature