Oxidative stability of virgin olive oil as affected by the bene unsaponifiable matters and tertiary-butylhydroquinone.

During 16 h heating at 180 °C, the oxidative stability (OS) of virgin olive oil (VOO) as affected by the same concentrations (200 ppm) of tertiary-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) and unsaponifiable matters of bene kernel (UKO) and hull (UHO) oils in terms of the inhibitory effect on the formation of conjugated diene hydroperoxides (OS(CDV)) and off-flavor carbonyl compounds (OS(CV)) was investigated. TBHQ was not able to considerably increase the OS(CDV) (7.51) of the VOO (7.2) and showed no synergistic effect with indigenous antioxidative compounds of the VOO (IOV) in this respect. However, it could significantly improve the OS(CV) (from 2.49 to 4.52), which was mainly due to its synergism with the IOV. The UKO increased considerably the OS(CDV) (to 11.8), and its OS(CV) (4.22) was nearly the same as that of TBHQ. The IOV still had marked contributions to the prevention of VOO oxidation but the majority of stabilizing effect was related to the UKO and its synergism with the IOV. The OS(CDV) in presence of the UHO was less than that of the VOO (5.96), although it significantly increased the OS(CV) (to 5.2), mainly due to the stabilizing effect of UHO and its synergism with the IOV.