Effects of black elderberry and spirulina extracts on the chemical stability of cold pressed flaxseed oil during accelerated storage

Flaxseed oil is a valuable source of omega-3 acids and bioactive compounds but it is highly sensitive to oxidation due to the high concentration of unsaturated fatty acids. This study aimed to improve stability of flaxseed oil by using spirulina and black elderberry extracts as natural antioxidants. The influence of different percentages of these extracts (0.10, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75%), a synthetic antioxidant BHT (0.02%), and gallic acid (0.02%) was investigated. The oxidation process was followed by measuring the stability parameters of oil (peroxide and anisidine value) and quality (total phenolic content, total antioxidant activity, tocopherol composition) during storage for 35 days at 40 °C, 75% RH. Peroxide value was determined as much less than other samples, in 0.10% spirulina and black elderberry extract added samples during storage. Natural extracts did not have negative impact on γ-Tocopherol content while BHT and gallic acid had. The results in this study confirmed that, black elderberry and spirulina extracts had shown better oxidative stability of flaxseed oil than BHT and gallic acid. Therefore, these extracts may have great potential as natural antioxidants for edible oils.