Abstract

The kinetic study of the thermal oxidative rancidification of extra-virgin olive oils at 98 °C carried out according to the A.O.M. (American Oxygen Method - official method) of the A.O.C.S. (American Oil Chemistry Society) was completed. The orders of magnitude for the values of the kinetic rate constant k (10 – 4 min – 1) for this process, the activation energy Ea (38 kJ mol – 1) and the reaction order n (1st order) were definitively established. A best model mechanism for the main processes occurring during oil rancidification was also proposed. The same procedure was successfully extended also to two other olive oil types: olive oil and olive oil residue.

Keywords: Extra-virgin olive oil, Olive oil, Olive oil residue, Thermal oxidative rancidification, A.O.M. method, Kinetic rate constant, Activation energy, Reaction order, Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) Biosensor, Tyrosinase OPEE, ORAC Spectrofluorimetric Method