Effect of butylated hydroxyanisole and α-tocopherol on the oxidative stability of palm olein during microwave heating

The consumption of oxidised oil had been linked with health issues such as heart diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of natural and synthetic antioxidants on palm olein during microwave heating. The microwave heating of palm olein with or without antioxidants (butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and alpha-tocopherol) was conducted at 300, 600, and 1000 W for 1, 3, and 5 min and analysed. Palm olein with alpha-tocopherol displayed the lowest conjugated diene (<0.98) and conjugated triene (<0.65) than palm olein. The presence of alpha-tocopherol showed higher or comparable oxidative stability (4.88 para-anisidine value, 13.76 total oxidation value) against BHA in palm olein during microwave heating. The high oxidation stability of microwave-heated palm olein with alpha-tocopherol demonstrated its potential as a natural antioxidant substitution from synthetic antioxidant. The palm olein with alpha-tocopherol could be further evaluated through repeated microwave heating.