Abstract:
Through the present study on the assessment of the antioxidant activity of Pituranthos chloranthus’ essential oil, endemic plant of the Algerian Sahara high plateau and its incorporation in a shortening formulation produced in at a laboratory scale in a margarinery of CEVITAL Food Company, it is revealed that:
Aerial part of Pituranthos chloranthus showed a moisture of (11,8 ± 0,097) % and an essential oil’s extraction yield, extracted by hydrodistillation, is near (0,86 ± 0,09) % and an optimization of time (t = 250min) for a dry plant mass of de (m = 80 g).
Antioxidant activity of the present plant material, determined by three tests: reducing power,DPPH and
-carotene bleaching test against a standard (α-Tocopherol or Vitamine E). The reducing power is of (0.094 ± 0.018) g TE/g EO, IC50 of (0,024 ± 0,002) mg/ml and a protective effect against
-carotene oxidation.
Physico-chemical characteristics of the shortening produced including: acidity, peroxide index and melting point are in a good agreement with the internal company standards.
Assessment of oxidative stability is carried out by Rancimat and Schaal tests. Rancimat showed that shortening incorporated with 75ppm gave the best resistance to oxidation. This is also consistent with Shaal test, with a peroxide index of PI = 0, 28 meq g O2/1000g, carried out in 35 days.
Thus, Pituranthos chloranthus essential oil may be of a technological interest to serve like preservatives in fats and oils, especially in food companies.
