Antipolymerization activity of oat extract in soybean and cottonseed oils under frying conditions

A methanolic extract of Noble oat ( Avena sativa L.) was tested for its antipolymerization activity in soybean and cottonseed oils heated to 180°C for 10 h per day for 10 d and for its carry‐through properties in fried bread cubes. The soybean and cottonseed oils containing 0.005 or 0.007% oat extract (based on total phenolic content) formed significantly lesser amounts of polar compounds with high molecular weight than did the oils containing 0.02% tertiary butyl hydroquinone (TBHQ), 1 ppm dimethylpolysiloxane (DMS) and oils containing no additives (control) as measured by high‐performance size‐exclusion chromatography. Fatty acid composition, also monitored, showed that oils with either level of oat extract maintained a significantly higher linoleic‐to‐palmitic acid ratio (18∶2/16∶0) than did the other treatments. Oil extracted from bread cubes fried (180°C) in oils containing TBHQ and oat extract and then stored at 60°C in the dark for up to 14 d had significantly lower ( P ≤0.05) peroxide values and higher ( P ≤0.05) 18∶2/16∶0 ratios than did oil extracted from cubes fried in oil containing DMS and in the control oil.