Using solid acid catalysts to improve the oxidative stability of cold-pressed sesame oil

The application of cold - pressed sesame oil (CSO) in the food industry is limited by its weak oxidative stability. The objective was to improve the oxidative stability of CSO by using different solid acid catalysts (SACs) with heat. The effects of SACs on the physicochemical properties, lignan content, oxidative stability and antioxidant capacity of oil samples were investigated. The different oil samples were: CSO without catalyst or heat (L); CSO without catalyst but with heat (CK); and CSO treated with four different SACs, namely hydrogen beta zeolite (Hβ), citric acid (CA), CA loaded on Hβ (CA/Hβ), 12-tungstophosphoric acid (PA) and PA loaded on Hβ (PA/Hβ). In the oil samples treated with SACs, the content of sesamin and sesamolin decreased significantly, and the content of asarinin and sesamol increased accordingly. The oxidative stability and antioxidant capacity of the oil samples Hβ, CA/Hβ and PA/Hβ were significantly enhanced (P < 0.05). The characterization of SACs showed that CA and PA were distributed uniformly inside the framework of Hβ. In summary, using SACs with heat effectively converted lignan into asarinin and sesamol, and enhanced the oxidative stability of CSO. This information should be useful for exploring the potential industrial applications of CSO.