As a molecule with an unsaturated bond, cholesterol is prone to oxidation. Cholesterol oxidation products (COP) are found
in many common foods and have been shown to be atherogenic, cytotoxic, mutagenic, and possibly carcinogenic. Efforts to reduce
the formation of oxidation products are considered important during the manufacture and processing of foods. The effect of
synthetic antioxidants on cholesterol oxidation has not been extensively studied. We assayed the effect of five commonly used
antioxidants—BHT, BHA, the
n-propyl ester of 3,4,5-trihydroxy benzoic acid (PG), TBHQ, and 6-ethoxy-1,2-dihydro-2,4-trimethylquinoline (EQ)—on cholesterol
stability when oxidation is induced in a Rancimat 679 instrument by bubbling air through the sample at 150°C. The sample consisted
of 200 mg cholesterol dispersed in 100 g of a polyunsaturated vegetable oil (soybean oil). Formation of six COP was measured
at the induction period, and at the 50 and 100 μS conductivity values. Under the experimental conditions, BHT and TBHQ were
the most effective inhibitors of cholesterol oxidation. BHA and EQ were less effective, and PG was unable to prevent cholesterol
oxidation. Synthetic antioxidants were more effective in preventing COP formation at the nucleus of the cholesterol structure
than at the lateral chain.
Key Words Cholesterol - cholesterol oxidation products - synthetic antioxidants - vegetable oil oxidation