Study of the Oxidative Stability of Chia Oil (Salvia hispanica L.) at Various Concentrations of Alpha Tocopherol

Chia oil has a high content of linoleic and linolenic acid, which are prone to oxidation and isomerization processes that can affect the quality of the oil. Here, the oxidative stability of cold-pressed chia oil was evaluated using different concentrations of α-tocopherol. α-Tocopherol was added to the extracted oil at concentrations ranging from 0 to 0.10% in increments of 0.025% (TC, T1, T2, T3, and T4) with a randomized block design with three replicates was used. Lipid oxidation was estimated using the induction period with an Oxitest. Both the best treatment and the control were stored for 15 months at 15 °C, and the fatty acid content was quantified using a gas chromatograph with a single quadrupole mass detector. The fatty acid content in the freshly extracted oil was found to be 7.23% palmitic acid, 2.22% stearic acid, 5.61% oleic acid, 19.39% linoleic acid, and 65.03% linolenic acid. No significant differences were found in the oxidation induction period between treatments T2, T3, and T4, so T2 (0.05% α-tocopherol) was selected as the best treatment due to its lower amount of stabilizer. In conclusion, the addition of 0.05% α-tocopherol maintained the quality of the oil within the values permitted by Ecuadorian regulations.