The use of plant extracts and natural products in preventing the deterioration of butter

In terms of food technology, probability of the fats and the products rich in fat to be oxidized is very high. Characteristic features such as flavor, color, tissue, odor and nutritional value of these oxidized products deteriorate. Antioxidants are known to prevent these deteriorations which ocur as a result of oxidative rancidity and oxipolymerization. In order to prevent oxidation in butter and similar foods, many synthetic antioxidants, especially BHT, BHA and TBHQ, are used. The chemicals used as antioxidants have many harmful effects to health. The use of natural antioxidants that are mostly secondary metabolites such as flavonoids, phenolic acids, vitamins and volatile compounds found in herbs and spices will be more meaningful in both preventing these harmful effects and oxidations. For this purpose, 22 plants were obtained that do not make any changes in the taste, smell and color of butter, and their aqueous and water-saturated ethyl acetate extracts were prepared. In order to determine in vitro antioxidant activities of these samples, FRAP, DPPH, and Folin antioxidant activity tests were applied. In the light of these preliminary studies, plant extracts having high antioxidant activity (UKS11, UKS15, UKS18, UKS19, UKS20, UKE15, UKE18, UKE19, UKE20) were selected to be used in order to prevent oxidation and rancidity in butter. The selected plant extracts were added to the butter at 200 ppm concentration. In addition, the reference samples were prepared by adding BHT and Trolox standards to butter samples at 200 ppm conceration. In order to follow the oxidation in the butter samples prepared, TBA, PV and FFA analyses were applied. The results of the analyses revealed that many of the plant extracts and especially UKS15, UKS18, UKS20 and UKE20 can be used as a natural antioxidant in order to prevent oxidation of butter.