# Black Cumin Essential Oil as an Active Stabilization Component of Rapeseed Oil During Deep-Fat Model Heating

## TL;DR

This study shows that black cumin essential oil can help stabilize rapeseed oil during heating, reducing harmful changes better than a synthetic antioxidant at higher concentrations.

## Contribution

The study demonstrates that black cumin essential oil is a natural alternative to synthetic antioxidants for stabilizing heated oils.

## Key findings

- Heating caused oil degradation, with the control sample showing the most changes.
- Adding 1000 ppm of black cumin essential oil significantly improved oil quality compared to lower concentrations.
- Black cumin essential oil performed better than TBHQ at higher concentrations.

## Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of black cumin essential oils to reduce the degradation of rapeseed oil during heating. Rapeseed oil was heated without addition and with the addition of black cumin essential oil (200 ppm, 500 ppm, and 1000 ppm), and with synthetic antioxidant TBHQ (200 ppm). The heating was carried out at 170 °C ± 10 °C for 6 h, in a deep-fat heating model. In all samples, changes in fatty acid profile, lipid-nutritional quality indices (PUFA/SFA ratio, atherogenicity index, thrombogenicity index, and hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic ratio), tocopherol and phytosterol content, total polar compound content, and triacylglycerol polymers were determined. The heating process led to oil degradation, which depended on the amount and type of additive used. The greatest changes were observed in the control sample (without additives). The addition of TBHQ or 200 ppm of black cumin essential oil reduced the adverse transformations to a similar level. Higher additions of black cumin essential oil led to a significant improvement in the quality of heated oils. The best results were obtained with the addition of 1000 ppm of black cumin essential oil.