Lipid Oxidation Inhibition by Natural Tocopherols Increases the Nutritional Value of Tuna Salami

Abstract

Introduction The quality attributes of fish products deteriorate due to the lipid oxidation during processing and storage. Tuna salami is highly susceptible to oxidation, which can precipitate health hazards and economic losses in terms of inferior product quality. Methods The effect of adding different natural antioxidants on the lipid oxidation, colour and fatty acid profile of tuna salami after nine days of storage at 4 ºC was assessed. Three different commercial mixes of tocopherols were added during the production of the tuna salami and samples were sliced and refrigerated for 9 days. Results The lipid oxidation increased from 0.98 to 4.03 mg of malondialdehyde/kg. The oxidation process was inhibited by DLT-100 and VIT-100; however, RNX10 did not blunt the oxidative process. VIT and dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) reduced the total unsatu-rated fatty acid reduction. The RNX did not prevent the reduction of the a* value. Conclusion It was concluded that tocopherols supplementation kept the nutritional value of tuna salami mainly by lipid oxidation inhibition.