Effects of Varying an Applied Voltage on Oxidation Rate of Safflower Oil under Simulated Frying Temperature

It is broadly accepted that polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are a critical component of the human diet, and the healthfulness of these molecules relies heavily on their oxidation state. One area of consumption that consumers risk ingesting oxidized fatty acids is through fried foods.  Previous studies in our group have investigated the use of an applied cathodic voltage for reducing the oxidation rate of safflower oil under simulated frying conditions. Expanding on this work, a variety of applied voltages were studied in an effort to better understand the optimal conditions for limiting lipid oxidation. In this study, we applied five different voltages (-0.6V, -0.3V, 0.0V, 0.3V, and 0.6V; all versus Ag/AgCl reference electrode) to safflower oil heated to 180° C for 8-hrs. 10 mL of oil were removed from each treatment at 0-, 2-, 4-, 6-, and 8-hrs. Samples were analyzed via square-wave voltammetry and peak currents for individual PUFAs were collected. Results suggest that more negative applied voltages reduce the rate of lipid oxidation better than more positive applied voltages. These results open up new opportunities for utilizing non-chemical options for antioxidant protection of PUFAs.