Separated from the Essential Oil of Coriandrum sativum L. Leaves, Carvacrol and Limonene Showed Antioxidant Effects in Sunflower Oil under Frying Conditions.

The frying process, a popular cooking technique, is widely used in the food industry around the world for the production of fried foods. Nevertheless, it is always accompanied by potential challenges including lipid peroxidation of vegetable oils. In this study, the influence of the coriander leaves essential oil (CLEO) on the oxidative stability of sunflower oil under frying conditions and the sensory attributes of fried food (Chinese Mahua) during the sensory evaluation were investigated. The results indicated that compared with the control, CLEO at 0.12 g/kg could obviously suppress the increases for the total polar compounds (TPC), thiobarbituric acid (TBA), color, conjugated dienes (CD), conjugated trienes (CT) and viscosity of sunflower oil, and prominently restrain the oxidization procedure of unsaturated fatty acid (UFA). Meanwhile, the decline in the sensory attributes for the Chinese Mahua was significantly inhibited. Furthermore, the study revealed the antioxidant effect of CLEO was mainly attributed to two compounds, carvacrol and limonene, which were separated by the bioassay-guided fractionation. Consequently, CLEO and the two compounds may be employed as potential natural antioxidants to improve the oxidation stability of sunflower oil under frying conditions.