Ultrasound and pulsed electric field treatment effect on the thermal properties, oxidative stability and fatty acid profile of oils extracted from berry seeds

Abstract The seeds of berry fruits which are considered as a by-product may be valorized by recovering the oil they content. Nevertheless, the conventional extraction methods are time, energy and organic solvents consuming. In order to make extraction more environmental-friendly, alternative methods, like ultrasound-assisted and pulsed electric field-assisted processes, are being developed. The procedure of extraction may however influence the quality of obtained oil. The following study aims to define the effects of ultrasound and pulsed electric field application in the extraction process on the thermal properties, i.e., oxidative stability, melting and cyclic heating/cooling profiles, thermal decomposition characteristics. Additionally, fatty acid profile assessment was included in the study. Seeds of blackberries, blackcurrants, chokeberries, raspberries and redcurrants were used to extract oil. Based on the results, it can be summarized that extraction method influenced the resistance of oils to oxidation. Ultrasound-assisted process resulted in oils with the highest oxidation induction times. Melting profile was slightly influenced by extraction method, with peak temperatures indicating the presence of low-melting and middle-melting triacylglycerol fractions. Differential scanning calorimetry with heat/cool/heat procedure let determine crystallization peak temperatures around − 60 °C, which could be associated with the specific triacylglycerol profile of berry seed oils. The courses of thermogravimetric analysis curves were comparable for all the tested samples. The fatty acid profile study revealed that all the studied thermal properties were affected by the unique fatty acid percentage share, with a great predominance of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Obtained results allowed to conclude that extraction method influenced oxidative stability, thermal properties and fatty acid profile only to some extent. The most promising extraction method among analyzed seems to be ultrasound-assisted extraction as it provided oil with high oxidative stability, typical thermal properties and unchanged fatty acid profile, without being harmful to natural environment due to possible reduction in solvent and time consumption.