Polar compound composition of four vegetable oils as affected by tert‐butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) and chlorophyll during room‐temperature storage

Summary The interaction of tert‐butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) or chlorophyll with the oxidative phenomena involving oils has been previously reported. This study aimed to investigate the effects of TBHQ and chlorophyll on the polar compound composition of four vegetable oils during room‐temperature storage. Samples with different oxidation levels were collected. The results obtained showed that the major changes in polar compounds occurred in oxidised triglyceride (TAG) monomer (OxTG) content, whereas no evident change transpired in other components. The TBHQ‐added and chlorophyll‐added groups caused a decrease in the levels of OxTG in peanut and linseed oils. The chlorophyll‐added group contained high amount of OxTG in rapeseed oil, whereas no such phenomenon occurred in the TBHQ‐added group. This finding can be due to the antioxidant effect of chlorophyll in the dark. Therefore, the role of TBHQ or chlorophyll in TAG oxidation results from different phenomena that occur depending on the system and type of oil.