Antioxidant Efficacy of Mulberry (Morus Indica L.) Leaves Extract and Powder in Edible Oil

The antioxidant activity of mulberry (Morus Indica L.) leaves was evaluated in rice bran oil (RBO). The oil was subjected to accelerated oxidation at 100 degrees C for 5 days and heat treatment at 180 degrees C for 1 h. In order to examine its potential antioxidant activity, the oxidative stability of the oils was evaluated by employing peroxide value (PV), radical scavenging activity (RSA), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances assay (TBARS), and percent free fatty acids (FFA). Mulberry in two forms viz: the methanolic extract and powder were applied to RBO at 200 ppm and 0.05%, respectively, and results were compared with RBO treated with a synthetic antioxidant-BHT. The PV, RSA, TBARS, and FFA values indicated that both mulberry extract and powder were effective in inhibiting lipid oxidation when compared to synthetic antioxidant BHT. Thus, mulberry leaves may serve as a new source of natural antioxidant for use in food systems.