Synthesis of lipophilic vitamin C and evaluation of its antioxidant performance in sunflower seed oil frying

The present study involved the synthesis and analysis of a lipophilic form of vitamin C, namely tetrabutyryl vitamin C ester (TVCE). TVCE is synthesized by a simple one-step method, combining the advantages of VC and butyric acid. Its antioxidant efficacy on sunflower seed oil frying was evaluated by assessing lipid oxidation parameters including peroxide number (POV), carbonyl number (CV), and paraniline number (pAV). Furthermore, changes in the fatty acid composition of the oil were monitored using techniques such as infrared spectroscopy (IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and gas chromatography (GC). The findings demonstrated that lipophilic vitamin C exhibited superior protection against oxidation during frying compared to vitamin E, suggesting that it may be an effective fat-soluble antioxidant. The study provides a new field for the utilization of vitamin C and a new idea for the development of efficient antioxidants.