The effect of squalene on the heat stability of rapeseed oil and model lipids

The heat stability of oils and fats is believed to depend not only of their fatty acid pattern but also on the composition on the unsaponifiable fraction. The addition of the unsaponifiables isolated from wheat germ oil, corn oil, Vernonia anthelmintica or olive oil was found to retard oxidative polymerization in vegetable oils and model lipids subjected to heating (1‐41. The protective effect of the non‐glyceride fraction is ascribed to sterols and methylsterols containing the ethyliden group in the side chain [1, 2]. There is scant information on squalene as a potential oxidation inhibitor. According to Sims et al. a addition of 0.5 96 squalene markedly retarded the degradation of unsaturated fatty acids in safflower oil heated at 180°C [11]. As reported by Go‐wind et al. squalene initially showing antioxidant properties for methyl oleate and methyl linoleate heated at 63°C was found to promote their oxidation at prolonged heating [IS]. This paper contains the results of the experiments carried out to reveal the effect of squalene on the heat stability of rapeseed oil and two model lipids.