Furan fatty acids in enriched ω-3 fish oil: Oxidation kinetics with and without added monomethyl furan fatty acid as potential natural antioxidant.

This study investigated the lipid oxidation reactions of furan fatty acids, long-chain ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, and tocopherols in an enriched ω-3 fish oil to better understand their degradation kinetics. Furthermore, the influence of an added monomethyl furan fatty acid 9-(3-methyl-5-pentylfuran-2-yl) nonanoic acid (9M5) at 50-250 µM on the oxidation reactions was evaluated. The results showed that the fish oil was rich in monomethyl and dimethyl furan fatty acids (c = 1.3 g/100 g lipids). Upon oxidation of the fish oil, the dimethyl furan fatty acids degraded faster than the monomethyl ones, but also faster than tocopherols. The addition of 9M5 revealed antioxidant activity: It inhibited the degradation of the ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and the formation of primary and secondary lipid oxidation products, and slowed down the degradation of the furan fatty acids and tocopherols. This research offers new insights into the importance of furan fatty acids in lipid oxidation reactions.