Antioxidant potential of Citrus aurantium essential oil in mitigating fish oil oxidation

Abstract

This study evaluated the antioxidant potential of Citrus aurantium flowers essential oil (neroli oil), in protecting fish oil, a lipid source highly susceptible to oxidation. Fish oil samples were supplemented with neroli oil (NEO) at concentrations ranging from 10 to 1500 ppm and subjected to rapid oxidation conditions (50°C for 48 hours with 70% humidity). Peroxide values (PV) were measured to assess oxidative stability, and significant differences were observed across treatment groups (p < 0.05). The lowest PV (7.65±0.28 meq O2/kg) was recorded in the 1500 ppm NEO group, while the control group without supplementation had the highest PV (29.54±1.02 meq O2/kg). NEO demonstrated comparable effectiveness to the commercial antioxidant Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT, 200 mg/kg). Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis identified linalool (25.2%) and linalyl acetate (42.77%) as the major volatile components of NEO. The study highlights that NEO effectively suppresses lipid oxidation without exhibiting toxicity, making it a viable natural alternative for fish feed applications. Further investigations are recommended to explore the potential pro-oxidant effects at higher concentrations and the long-term implications of secondary oxidation products.