Impact of pecan nut shell aqueous extract on the oxidative properties of margarines during storage.

BACKGROUND: The oxidative properties of margarines supplemented with pecan nut shell extract, rosemary extract and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) were investigated.

RESULTS: The extracts of pecan nut shell and rosemary showed a high content of total phenolics and condensed tannins (93 and 102.9 mg GAE g-1 and 46 and 38.9 mg CE g-1 respectively) as well as a high antioxidant activity (1257 and 2306 µmol TEAC g-1 and 293 and 856 mg TEAC g-1 by ABTS and DPPH methods respectively). Gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, epicatechin and epicatechin gallate were identified in the pecan nut shell extract. Peroxide and p-anisidine values of 3.75-4.43 meq kg-1 and 1.22-2.73 respectively, Totox values of 9.88-10.8 and specific extinction values of 4.38-4.59 and 0.92-0.94 at 232 and 268 nm respectively were observed after 8 months of storage in the studied samples.

CONCLUSION: Margarines supplemented with pecan nut shell extract, rosemary extract or BHT during prolonged storage were found to be of equal quality within the degree of confidence limits. The extract of pecan nut shell may be considered as a natural product replacement for the synthetic antioxidant BHT. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.