Abstract

Oxidations of margarine incorporated with β-sitosteryl esters of hexanoic (Sito-C6), lauric (Sito-C12), palmitic (Sito-C16) and oleic (Sito-C18:1) acids were evaluated during storage at ambient temperature (25 °C) and at 55 °C for 20 days in comparison with native β-sitosterol. All oxidative indices, including hydroperoxide value (HPV), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), p-Anisidine value (AnV) and 7-keto derivatives, tended to increase with increasing storage time. Overall, losses of sterol esters in margarine during storage at both temperatures fitted a first order kinetic model. Margarine with unsaturated ester oxidized faster (k = 0.0355 day⁻¹, R² = 0.8126) than those with saturated counterpart and native β-sitosterol, particularly at higher temperature (55 °C). As a consequence, sterol structure and storage temperature were the main factors influencing the oxidative stability of margarine enriched phytosterol esters during storage.