Acrolein as a major volatile in the early stages of fish oil TAG oxidation

Abstract

Fish oil rich in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) is known to have an unpleasant smell, even at low oxidation levels. Therefore, it is highly important to know the major volatiles formed during the early stages of fish oil oxidation. Comparative study with solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and static headspace (SHS) methods showed that 2-propenal (acrolein) was formed as the major volatile from the beginning of fish oil triacylglycerol (TAG) oxidation. The effectiveness of SPME extraction on each volatile was different from each fiber. Among the three different SPME fibers used in the present study, carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane (CAR/PDMS) was determined to be a better fiber for measuring the volatiles, including acrolein. The present study also showed that the non-selective SHS method is useful for determining the characteristic volatile formation in the early stages of fish oil TAG oxidation.