DETERMINATION OF CAROTENOID CONTENT IN VEGETABLE OILS BY SPECTROPHOTOMETRY

Abstract

The work uses a spectrophotometric method for determining the total content of carotenoids, proposed for the study of samples obtained from seeds of oilseeds and modified for the analysis of vegetable oils. The total content of carotenoids in 8 oils was determined. The effectiveness of the method and good reproducibility of the results are shown. The results of the carotenoid content determination study showed that the carotene content in unrefined oils is higher than in refined oils. A higher value indicates a higher oxidative stability.  It is also clear from the data obtained that unrefined olive oil and refined corn oils, which are usually considered as a source of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids deficient in nutrition, are also a source of carotenoids. In these conditions, an urgent task is to modify and expand the possibilities of using the spectrophotometric method of analyzing carotenoids in vegetable oils.