Antioxidant Activity, Reaction Mechanisms, and Kinetics of Matricaria recutita Extract in Commercial Blended Oil Oxidation

In order to prolong the storage life of vegetable oils, various synthetic antioxidants such as tert-Butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), and butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) are currently used, but these substances have toxic and carcinogenic effects on the human health. Therefore, the development of natural antioxidants has attracted considerable attention and is thought to be a preferable option. Crude extracts (CEs) of herbs and spices rich in phenolics are of increasing interest in the food industry because they retard oxidative degradation of lipids and improving the quality and nutritional value of food.

Matricaria recutita, a member of Asteraceae family, is an endemic plant that is greatly distributed in Iran. Babooneh Shirazi is the Persian name of this plant which is used in traditional and herbal medicine (especially the dried flower heads of the plant) for its anti-inflammatory, antipeptic, sedative, antibacterial, and antifungal properties. A good understanding of the kinetics of Babooneh Shirazi extract as an antioxidant in vegetable oils would improve our ability to formulate food products that maintain their existing oil quality and minimize the appearance of undesirable breakdown products. Kinetic data are necessary for predicting oxidative stability of vegetable oils under varying heat processing, storage, and distribution conditions. Therefore, the aim of this research was to study antioxidant activity, reaction mechanisms, and kinetics of Babooneh Shirazi extract as an antioxidant using the Arrhenius equation in commercial blended vegetable oil.