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Gamma-oryzanol as a natural antioxidant to enhance the autoxidative and thermal stability of clarified butterfat (ghee)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2025

Mundakka Paramban Rahila ,
Battula Surendra Nath ,
Laxmana Naik ,
Dnyaneshwar Shinde  and
Heartwin A. Pushpadass
Mundakka Paramban Rahila*
Affiliation:
Department of Dairy Chemistry, Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Pookode, KL, India
Battula Surendra Nath
Affiliation:
Department of Dairy Chemistry, Southern Regional Station of ICAR- National Dairy Research Institute, Bengaluru, KA, India
Laxmana Naik
Affiliation:
Department of Dairy Chemistry, Southern Regional Station of ICAR- National Dairy Research Institute, Bengaluru, KA, India
Dnyaneshwar Shinde
Affiliation:
Centre for Analysis and Learning in Livestock and Food, National Dairy Development Board, Anand, GJ, India
Heartwin A. Pushpadass
Affiliation:
Department of Dairy Engineering, Southern Regional Station of ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Bengaluru, KA, India
*
Corresponding author: Mundakka Paramban Rahila; Email: rahilasona@gmail.com
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Abstract

Clarified butterfat, also known as ghee, a popular dairy product in Indian cuisine, has low oxidative stability due to its limited natural antioxidant content. Antioxidants are crucial for enhancing the stability of food lipids during storage and heating processes. While synthetic antioxidants are commonly used in ghee, concerns have arisen due to potentially toxic by-products formed during their breakdown. Gamma-oryzanol, an antioxidant compound found in rice bran oil, has shown significant improvement in ghee’s antioxidant properties when added at a 0.5% concentration, as confirmed by various free radical scavenging tests. High Performance Liquid Chromatography analysis revealed that γ-oryzanol remained stable during ghee storage at 37° C ± 1° C and 60° C ± 1° C but experienced some degradation during deep fat frying at 180° C. Notably, γ-oryzanol effectively prevented the formation of cholesterol oxidation products in ghee during a 60-min frying period. Therefore, γ-oryzanol could serve as a natural antioxidant to safeguard ghee from oxidative and thermal deterioration, offering a preferable alternative to butylated hydroxyanisole to address human health concerns.

Keywords

antioxidantdeep fryinggamma oryzanolgheethermal oxidation

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Dairy Research , Volume 92 , Issue 2 , May 2025 , pp. 280 - 287
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Hannah Dairy Research Foundation.

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