The addition of essential oils increases the oxidative stability of sacha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis) oil

Essential oils are known for their antioxidant properties, which make them a natural alternative for preventing oxidative rancidity in fixed oils. The aim of this research was to analyze the effects of adding essential oils of Mespilodaphne quixos or Citrus limon on the shelf life of sacha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis) oil. We determined oxidative stability using the Rancimat method at 80 and 100°C. We extrapolated the results to 30°C to estimate the oil shelf life under real storage conditions. Analysis of variance was used to evaluate the effects of oil type and bdose (200-800 mg kg-1) on shelf life. The optimal conditions were identified using an optimal design. The oil of sacha inchi is rich in unsaturated fatty acids, mainly cis-13,16-docosadienoic acid (47.16%) and linolenic acid (35.13%), which may undergo reactions that alter the degrees of unsaturation and alter the properties of the oil. The addition of M. quixos and C. limon essential oils significantly increased the oxidative stability of sacha inchi oil. We obtained the best results with the 800 mg kg-1 dose. The M. quixos oil performed better than the C. limon oil, increasing the shelf life of sacha inchi oil by 2.29 years and 2.07 years, respectively, compared to the control.