M. Victoria Ruiz-Méndez

Sunflower Oil Minor Constituents

Publisher Summary Crude sunflower oil consists predominantly of triacylglycerols along with a small fraction of minor constituents such as diacylglycerols, phospholipids, glycolipids, free fatty acids, aliphatic alcohols, waxes, hydrocarbons, phenolic compounds, carotenoids, chlorophyll, trace metals, tocopherols, and phytosterols. It may also contain pesticides resulting from agricultural practices. The largest fraction of minor constituents of sunflower oil constitutes the unsaponifiable fraction, which includes the minor constituents that cannot be saponified by caustic treatment but are soluble in organic solvents that fat and oils are soluble in. The unsaponifiable matter of crude sunflower oil mainly contains tocopherols, phytosterols, alcohols, hydrocarbons, and phenolics. Some minor constituents such as tocopherols and phytosterols have a major positive impact on nutritional and/or technological properties of the oil. However, others such as phospholipids, free fatty acids, and waxes have a negative effect on oil quality and stability.

Contribution of denaturing and deodorization processes of oils to toxic oil syndrome.

In this article, denaturing with aniline and refining process of the oil responsible for toxic oil syndrome is briefly reviewed. The aspects considered include description of conditions of the main refining steps in relation to aniline derivatives formation, with special focus on the deodorization stage. In this last step of the refining process, an increase in the temperature, applied to such an unusual oil, could have given rise to the formation of anilides and 3-N-phenylamino-1,2-propanediol esters.