The control effect and mechanism of antioxidants on the flavor deterioration of Sichuan pepper essential oil during thermal processing

The impacts of varying heating temperature on the flavor of Sichuan pepper essential oil (SPEO) have been studied. The high temperature heating was found to accelerate the oxidation of SPEO and caused the deterioration of its flavor (odor and pungency taste). With the intervention of antioxidants including RE, AP, and TPP, both thermal oxidation stability and flavor stability of SPEO were enhanced. Addition of 1.5% TPP had the best control effect, which significantly improved the overall flavor of heated SPEO and made the overall flavor of SPEO heated at 100 ˚C highly similar to that of original SPEO. According to the results of GC-MS and OAV analyses, the control effect of antioxidants on odor deterioration of SPEO was mainly through significantly inhibiting the decrease in content and OAV of both linalool and terpenes, and restricting the formation of some oxygenated compounds such as aldehydes. The results of HPLC analysis showed that the control effect of antioxidants on the thermal taste stability of SPEO was mainly dependent on blocking the chemical reactions of sanshools, especially hydroxy-α-sanshool.