Migration of α-tocopherol from LDPE films to corn oil and its effect on the oxidative stability

• Published in: Food research international 2010-05, Vol.43 (4), p.1073-1078
• Main Authors: Graciano-Verdugo, Abril Zoraida, Soto-Valdez, Herlinda, Peralta, Elizabeth, Cruz-Zárate, Pavlov, Islas-Rubio, Alma Rosa, Sánchez-Valdes, Saúl, Sánchez-Escalante, Armida, González-Méndez, Natalia, González-Ríos, Humberto
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Activation energy; Active packaging; alpha-tocopherol; antioxidant activity; antioxidants; Biological and medical sciences; capillary gas chromatography; coatings; Contact; Corn oil; Density; Diffusion; diffusivity; Fat industries; Food industries; food packaging; Foods; free radical scavengers; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Handling, storage, packaging, transport; Lipid oxidation; lipid peroxidation; Low density polyethylene; Migration; Monitoring; oxidative stability; packaging materials; packaging materials migration; polyethylene; Polyethylenes; solid phase extraction; Stability; α-Tocopherol
• ISSN: 0963-9969; 1873-7145
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2010.01.019

The migration of α-tocopherol (α-T) from low density polyethylene (LDPE) films, added with 20 (film A) and 40 mg g −1 (film B) to corn oil for 12 weeks at 5, 20 and 30 °C was determined. A LDPE film added with no α-T was used as control (film C). Diffusion coefficient ( D) values for the film A system were 1.4 × 10 −11, 7.1 × 10 −11 and 30.3 × 10 −11 cm 2 s −1 at 5, 20 and 30 °C, respectively. Meanwhile, D values for the film B system were 1.3 × 10 −11, 9.6 × 10 −11 and 51.1 × 10 −11 cm 2 s −1 at the same temperatures. The activation energy ( E a) for the diffusion of α-T was 126.5 (film A) and 105.9 kJ mol −1 (film B). The effect of the migration of α-T on the oxidative stability of corn oil was evaluated by monitoring hexanal content by solid phase micro-extraction (SPME) and gas chromatography. The hexanal content in the oil showed that both films added with α-T resulted suitable to maintain the oxidative stability of the oil for about 16 weeks at 30 °C, compared to 12 weeks for the oil in contact with the film C.