Analysis of the Dynamic Decomposition of Unsaturated Fatty Acids and Tocopherols in Commercial Oils During Deep Frying

The decomposition of unsaturated fatty acids and tocopherols in 10 commercial edible oils during deep frying was investigated. The dominant tocopherol in oils rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) was gamma-tocopherol, except for natural perilla oil (delta-tocopherol dominant), and the main tocopherol in oleic acid-rich oils was alpha-tocopherol. The PUFA-rich oils had higher tocopherol contents than the oleic acid-rich oils. Both the reduction rate of total unsaturated fatty acid (TUFA) and total tocopherol (TToc) were linear with frying time (t). The decomposition rate of TToc is faster than that of TUFA since the slope values obtained from fitting equations (Y = k t) k(TToc) (1.520-14.483) were obviously larger than for k(TUFA) (0.155-0.270). By establishing a dynamic decomposition index, unsaturated fatty acids and tocopherol in oils showed dynamic decomposition over multiple frying cycles. The obtained results showed that decomposition characteristics of oils are related to their fatty acid compositions.