Rs. Farag et Kham. Elkhawas, INFLUENCE OF GAMMA-IRRADIATION AND MICROWAVES ON THE ANTIOXIDANT PROPERTY OF SOME ESSENTIAL OILS, International journal of food sciences and nutrition, 49(2), 1998, pp. 109-115
The antioxidant property of anise, caraway, cumin and fennel essential
oils extracted from untreated, gamma-irradiated and microwaved fruits
against sunflower oil oxidative rancidity was evaluated. The fruits w
ere exposed to gamma-irradiation at 10 KGy and to microwaves at low ov
en power setting for 1 min. The essential oils were added individually
(200 ppm) to sunflower oil and the rate of oil oxidation was followed
by determining the peroxide value during storage at room temperature.
The irradiated and microwaved essential oils exhibited an antioxidant
activity and was superior to that of sunflower oil catalysed by a mix
ture of BHT + BHA (200 ppm) in most cases. The present data show that
gamma-irradiation and microwave treatments did not affect the antioxid
ant property of the essential oils under study. In addition the essent
ial oils extracted from the gamma-irradiated fruits were more effectiv
e as an antioxidant in sunflower oil than those produced from microwav
ed fruits.