A polyphenol extract of tara pods (Caesalpinia spinosa) as a potential antioxidant in oils

Abstract

Tara is a native species of Peru and is widely distributed in Latin America; its fruits (pods) have a high potential for medical, industrial and food uses. A supercritical tara polyphenol extract (STPE) was obtained from tara pods by supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) with CO 2. The antioxidant activity of the STPE was studied in two oils, regular and high-oleic sunflower oil (SO, HOSO), with and without their natural antioxidants. Under accelerated conditions of oxidation, a linear relationship was observed in antioxidant-stripped oils between the polyphenol content of the STPE and the induction period. The antioxidant effect of STPE on the HOSO was studied at 60°C. The highest polyphenol concentration of STPE showed the greatest α-tocopherol degradation and the lowest hydroperoxide formation, which implies that α-tocopherol causes the regeneration of the polyphenols that protect the TAGs in HOSO. Tara pods combined with SFE method could be used as a source of antioxidants in oils.