Antioxidant potential of Citrus aurantium essential oil in mitigating fish oil oxidation

This study evaluated the antioxidant potential of Citrus aurantium flowers essential oil (neroli oil), in protecting fish oil, a lipid source highly susceptible to oxidation. Fish oil samples were supplemented with neroli oil (NEO) at concentrations ranging from 10 to 1500 ppm and subjected to rapid oxidation conditions (50°C for 48 hours with 70% humidity). Peroxide values (PV) were measured to assess oxidative stability, and significant differences were observed across treatment groups (p < 0.05). The lowest PV (7.65±0.28 meq O2/kg) was recorded in the 1500 ppm NEO group, while the control group without supplementation had the highest PV (29.54±1.02 meq O2/kg). NEO demonstrated comparable effectiveness to the commercial antioxidant Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT, 200 mg/kg). Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis identified linalool (25.2%) and linalyl acetate (42.77%) as the major volatile components of NEO. The study highlights that NEO effectively suppresses lipid oxidation without exhibiting toxicity, making it a viable natural alternative for fish feed applications. Further investigations are recommended to explore the potential pro-oxidant effects at higher concentrations and the long-term implications of secondary oxidation products.