Gamma-oryzanol as a natural antioxidant to enhance the autoxidative and thermal stability of clarified butterfat (ghee)

Clarified butterfat, also known as ghee, a popular dairy product in Indian cuisine, has low oxidative stability due to its limited natural antioxidant content. Antioxidants are crucial for enhancing the stability of food lipids during storage and heating processes. While synthetic antioxidants are commonly used in ghee, concerns have arisen due to potentially toxic by-products formed during their breakdown. Gamma-oryzanol, an antioxidant compound found in rice bran oil, has shown significant improvement in ghee's antioxidant properties when added at a 0.5% concentration, as confirmed by various free radical scavenging tests. High Performance Liquid Chromatography analysis revealed that γ-oryzanol remained stable during ghee storage at 37° C ± 1° C and 60° C ± 1° C but experienced some degradation during deep fat frying at 180° C. Notably, γ-oryzanol effectively prevented the formation of cholesterol oxidation products in ghee during a 60-min frying period. Therefore, γ-oryzanol could serve as a natural antioxidant to safeguard ghee from oxidative and thermal deterioration, offering a preferable alternative to butylated hydroxyanisole to address human health concerns.