The Antioxidant Activity of Black Tea Extract and its Synergism with Soyabean Oil Phospholipids

Oils and Fats are important components in human daily nutrition and have been consumed by man daily to a considerable quantity. The oxidative stability of oils and fats are affected by various factors namely oxygen, light, heat and prooxidant metals. The aim of the present investigation is concerned with the antioxidant activity of black tea extract and its synergistic activity with phosphatidy cholene (lecithin) on tail and tallow.

Black tea extract and lecithin were obtained and prepared. The antioxidant activity consisting of total phenolic content and radical scavenging effect were performed using tail-end tallow as the substrate. The stability was compared with the addition of BHT, the synthetic antioxidant at different concentrations. Commercial phospholipid (lecithin) was also employed to investigate the synergism between the phospholipids and the phenolic compounds present in black tea extract.

The results indicated that black tea extract at the concentration of 900 ppm and lecithin at the concentration of 500 ppm improved the peroxide value and induction period of tail-end tallow.

The addition of black tea extract and lecithin in combination improves the stability of oils and fats and might be employed and substituted for synthetic antioxidants.