Introducing refined ostrich oil as a new edible oil with high oxidative stability.

This study aimed to compare the chemical structure and oxidative stability of ostrich oil, a new edible oil source, with olive oil. Both oils had similar major fatty acids, such as oleic, linoleic, palmitic, stearic, and palmitoleic acid, but their fatty acid composition differed significantly. Moreover, the cholesterol level in ostrich oil was 287 mg/kg, which was much lower than other animal oils. The oxidative stability tests showed that ostrich oil was more resistant to oxidation than olive oil after heating for 32 h at 170 °C. This outcome was related to the changes in antioxidant compounds (sum of tocopherols and polyphenols). These compounds decreased slightly in ostrich oil after heating, while they decreased more in olive oil. Another factor was the lower degree of unsaturation in ostrich oil than in olive oil. The DPPH free radical scavenging power and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) in ostrich oil increased by 4.96% and decreased by 11.7% respectively after thermal processing for 32 h, compared to the initial moment. However, in olive oil, these two factors decreased by 96% and 58.8% respectively. Therefore, the results of this study indicate that ostrich oil could be a good choice for frying or as an ingredient in frying oil formulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]