EXTRACTION AND IDENTIFICATION OF ANTIOXIDANTS IN OATS

Eight separate solvent systems were used with groats and hulls of several lines of oats to determine which system resulted in the most effective, rapid extraction of antioxidants. Antioxidant activity at room temperature was estimated by using thin-layer chromatography (TLC) along with a beta-carotene spray. The greatest antioxidant activities were obtained with methanolic antioxidant extracts derived from Noble and Ogle oats and hulls. These extracts were added to soybean oil (SBO) and their effectiveness was compared with that of butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), tertiary butyl hydroquinone (TBHQ) and a control (no additives) at 32-degrees-C, 60-degrees-C and 180-degrees-C. A petroleum ether extract of Noble oats also was tested in SBO at 180-degrees-C. Peroxide values (PV) for oils with added antioxidants during storage at 32-degrees-C and 60-degrees-C showed that the Ogle oat extract was more effective than the other oat and hull extracts or the control. There were no significant differences in effectiveness among the extracts and the control at 60-degrees-C. At 180-degrees-C, the stability of each oil was determined by measuring conjugated dienoic acid values (CD) and the relative amounts of the unoxidized fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) 18:2, 18:3 and 18:2/16:0. All oils with added oat and hull extracts had significantly lower CD and significantly higher 18:2/16:0 than oils with added BHT, TBHQ or the control during 14 days at frying temperature. Phenolic and hydroxy-phenolic antioxidant compounds with acids, alcohols, sugars or glycerides attached were tentatively identified in the oat and hull extracts by using TLC and chromatographic sprays.