Effect of Eleven Antioxidants in Inhibiting Thermal Oxidation of Cholesterol

Eleven antioxidants including nine phenolic compounds (rutin, quercetin, hesperidin, hesperetin, naringin, naringenin, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid), vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol), and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) were selected to investigate their inhibitory effects on thermal oxidation of cholesterol in air and lard. The results indicated that the unoxidized cholesterol decreased with heating time whilst cholesterol oxidation products (COPs) increased with heating time. The major COPs produced were 7 alpha-hydroxycholesterol, 7 beta-hydroxycholesterol, 5,6 beta-epoxycholesterol, 5,6 alpha-epoxycholesterol, and 7-ketocholesterol. When cholesterol was heated in air for an hour, rutin, quercetin, chlorogenic acid, and caffeic acid showed a strong inhibitory effect. When cholesterol was heated in lard, caffeic acid, quercetin, and chlorogenic acid demonstrated inhibitory action during the initial 0.5 h (p < 0.05), with caffeic acid being the best inhibitor. Hesperetin, naringenin, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, vitamin E, and BHT could decrease the peroxide value during the initial 0.5 and 1 h (p < 0.05) in lard. It seemed that 200 ppm antioxidant could not obviously retard the long-term oxidation of cholesterol and lard under high temperature, but caffeic acid, quercetin, and chlorogenic acid displayed great untapped potential to prevent thermal oxidation of cholesterol 0.5 h at least. For the sake of health and flavor, fast stir-frying over a high flame is recommended. If baking or deep fat frying food in oil, it is best to limit cooking time to within 0.5 h.