Effect of cinnamaldehyde on oxidative stability of several fats and oils at elevated temperatures

Natural antioxidants recently have gained popularity since synthetic ones have toxic and carcinogenic effects. In the present study, effect of temperature (120, 150 and 180°C) and cinnamaldehyde on oxidative stability of several oils (olive, hazelnut and palm oils) and fats (milkfat and butter) was examined. In order to compare the results with the synthetic antioxidant, butylated hydroxy toluene (BHT) was used at a concentration of 200 ppm. This level is the legal maximum limit allowed. Experiments were conducted by using a PetroOxy device, a rapid small scale oxidation stability test. According to induction time values obtained by PetroOxy device, the stability of oils drastically decreased with increasing temperature. Cinnamaldehyde had no significant effect (p > 0.05) on all fat and oil samples compared to control (no antioxidant added) and BHT added samples. BHT significantly increased induction times of all fat and oil samples at lower temperatures. However, it was not effective at 180°C (p < 0.05). It can be concluded that cinnamaldehyde could not be considered as a good alternative to BHT for preservation of fats and oils at high temperatures.