Effect of apple pomace-based antioxidants on the stability of mustard oil during deep frying of French fries

Production of harmful compounds during deep frying in repeatedly used oils is a serious concern faced by the food industry. In this study, apple pomace-based antioxidants (crude apple pomace extract and quercetin) were evaluated to check the stability of high oleic mustard oil during deep frying of French fries. Apple pomace extract (APE) obtained from ultrasound assisted extraction (UAE) shows a rich bioactive profile with total phenols (5.58 +/- 0.23 mg GAE/g), total flavonoids (5.42 +/- 0.45 mg QE/g), and an antioxidant activity of 76%. RP-HPLC analysis of apple pomace extract revealed that quercetin (QE) was the major polyphenolic compound present. Mustard oil incorporated with apple pomace-based antioxidants show higher stability and quality in terms of various physico-chemical indices and sensory evaluation as compared to TBHQ (tertiary butyl hydroquinone). The stability conferred by antioxidants in the frying oil was of the following order QE > APE > TBHQ > Control. Thus, natural antioxidants have the potential to replace synthetic antioxidants effectively in conferring stability to deep-fried oils.