DIETARY OILS AND TOCOPHEROL SUPPLEMENTATION ON CHOLESTEROL OXIDE FORMATION IN FREEZE-DRIED CHICKEN MEAT DURING STORAGE

The influence of dietary oils [fish (FO), flax (LO), palm (PO) and sun flower (SO) oil] and tocohperol supplementation on. the oxidation of c holesterol and lipids of chicken meat was investigated. Lipid oxidatio n in chicken meat powders was determined by thiobarbituric acid reacti ve substances (TBARS) and cholesterol oxidation products were estimate d by capillary gas chromatography (GC) after trimethylsilylation. Peak identities from GC were confirmed by mass spectrometry. Freeze-dried chicken meat powder, stored in contact with air at room temperature fo r four months showed the presence of 7 alpha- and 7 beta-hydroxycholes terol, 7-ketocholesterol, alpha and beta-epoxide, and cholestane-triol , Total cholesterol oxides contents significantly (P < 0.05) increased with storage. The amount of cholesterol oxides in the meat powder was the highest in FO and SO group, and lowest in PO group. Lipid and cho lesterol oxidation were accelerated by the presence of long-chain PUFA . Lipid and cholesterol stability of chicken meat were improved by the dietary supplementation of tocopherol.