Journal of Agricultural Sciences https://doi.org/10.

2298/JAS2001061P
Vol. 65, No. 1, 2020 UDC: 665.353.4
Pages 61-68 665.347.8
Original scientific paper

QUALITY PARAMETERS OF SUNFLOWER OIL AND PALM OLEIN

DURING MULTIPLE FRYING

Dragana M. Paunović1*, Mirjana A. Demin1, Tanja S. Petrović1,

Jovana M. Marković1, Vesna B. Vujasinović2 and Biljana B. Rabrenović1
1
University of Belgrade, Faculty of Agriculture,
Nemanjina 6, 11080 Zemun-Belgrade, Serbia
2
University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Sciences,
Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia

Abstract: The refined sunflower and palm oils are used in the food industry
for the production of fried potatoes. Literary data have shown that palm oil had less
tendency to degradation than sunflower oil due to its fatty acid composition.
However, palm olein is a palm oil fraction and therefore has a different
composition of fatty acids. The aim of this study was to investigate the quality of
the refined palm olein in relation to the refined linoleic type sunflower oil during
the production of fried potatoes. The oil samples were used for multiple frying
during the seven days (40 minutes per day at a temperature of 165oC). The
peroxide value and free fatty acid content (acid value) were determined by standard
analytical methods. The results showed that the peroxide value in sunflower oil and
palm olein increased by 75.0% and 77.8%, while the acid value increased by
50.0% and 26.8%, respectively, in relation to their initial values in the fresh oil
samples. Based on these results, it can be concluded that the palm olein was more
suitable for frying. However, this finding cannot be reported with certainty because
the quality of the oil depends on many more parameters, not only on those analysed
in this paper.
Key words: sunflower oil, palm olein, peroxide value, acid value.

Introduction

Potato frying is a widespread way of preparing potatoes for human

consumption. The fried potatoes have a pleasant taste and a crunchy texture that
make them very popular with consumers. The most common method of frying
potatoes is deep frying in oil in the food industry as well as in the household. In
industrial conditions, frying oil is used for a long period of time before being

*
Corresponding author: e-mail: draganap@agrif.bg.ac.rs
62 Dragana M. Paunović et al.

replaced by a new one. The time and high frying temperatures, the presence of
moisture and oxygen affect the initiation of chemical and physical changes that
deteriorate the oil quality. Numerous volatile and non-volatile compounds are
formed in the processes of hydrolysis, oxidation, isomerisation and polymerisation
(Choe and Min, 2007). It is very important which kind of oil will be selected for
frying, so oils that have more saturated fatty acids in their composition are
significantly more stable than those with more unsaturated fatty acids (Grompone,
2005; Matthäus, 2007). As potatoes absorb a certain amount of oil (up to 40%)
during frying, a number of undesirable newly formed compounds affect the fried
potato quality. Thus, the taste and acceptability of fried potato are deteriorated, but
it also becomes unsafe to the health of the consumers. Kita et al. (2005) point out
that fried potatoes absorbed less fat by increasing frying temperatures. It is very
important to choose the right type of oil that can maintain quality during frying for
a long period of time. The most commonly used oils for the industrial potato frying
in our country are sunflower and palm oils, or a palm oil fraction (palm olein).
Refined sunflower oil is produced by pressing and extracting sunflower seeds
(Grompone, 2005). According to Crapiste et al. (1999), extracted sunflower oil
showed a higher oxidative stability in relation to cold-pressed sunflower oil during
storage. The dominant fatty acid in standard (linoleic type) sunflower oil is a
linoleic, polyunsaturated, omega-6 fatty acid, followed by an oleic fatty acid, while
the linolenic acid content is always less than 0.3%. The low content of linolenic
acid is positive because this fatty acid contributes most to the oxidative instability
of the oil (Grompone, 2005). Among the saturated fatty acids, palmitic and stearic
acids are present in an amount not exceeding 15%. Also, this oil is a rich source of
tocopherols, especially alfa-tocopherol (Grompone, 2005).
Malaysia is the world’s largest producer of palm oil (Basiron, 2007). Palm oil
is obtained by pressing the mesocarp of the palm oil tree fruit (Lin, 2011). Palm oil
has approximately the same ratio of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. Palmitic
and oleic acids are the predominant fatty acids, with linoleic and trace amounts of
linolenic acid (Lin, 2011; Pande et al., 2012). The high content of saturated fatty
acids and the negligible content of linolenic acid make this oil oxidatively stable
(Pande et al., 2012). Palm oil contains a significantly higher amount of tocopherols,
tocotrienols, carotenoids and chlorophylls in comparison to sunflower oil, and
therefore it is oxidatively more stable (Edem, 2002; Pande et al., 2012; Mba et al.,
2015). The synergistic effect of β-carotene and tocotrienols can reduce oxidation
during potato slice frying at a temperature of 163oC (Pande et al., 2012; Mba et al.,
2015). Due to the presence of carotenoid and chlorophyll pigments, palm oil,
unlike sunflower oil, has a darker colour. Phospholipids were found in smaller
quantities than in other vegetable oils. Similarly, palm oil contains a small amount
of phenolic compounds that are responsible for oil browning during frying (Pande
et al., 2012). Palm olein is a liquid fraction obtained during the palm oil

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 Quality parameters of sunflower oil and palm olein during multiple frying 63

fractionation process, which involves crystallisation at controlled temperatures and

removal of crystals by filtration (Lin, 2011; Pande et al., 2012). Palm olein is
different from palm oil in that it has a higher oleic than palmitic acid content.
The aim of this study was to investigate the quality of the refined sunflower
oil and palm olein during the multiple deep frying of potatoes.

Materials and Methods

The material for this experiment was purchased at a retail store in Belgrade,
Serbia. Refined standard sunflower oil was originally from Serbia, and palm oil
fraction (palm olein) originated from Malaysia. Potatoes were produced in Serbia.
Sample preparation. Potatoes (500 g per batch) were cut into sticks and frying
was done in two open deep fryers (3 L of oil per fryer), at a temperature of 165oC
for a total of 40 minutes (4 minutes per batch of potatoes). The frying process was
repeated for seven days (one 40-minute frying per day for both oils, without oil
replenishment), and samples of both oils were taken after the first, third, fifth and
seventh day of frying. Between frying, the oil was stored in the fryers but with the
lids closed. The time interval between the two fryings was about 24 h.
All post-frying and fresh oil samples were compared by standard analytical
methods for determination of the peroxide number (peroxide value – PV) and the
acid number (acid value – AV). There were ten samples in total: sunflower oil
sample before frying (SO), sunflower oil sample taken after the first (SO1), third
(SO3), fifth (SO5) and seventh (SO7) frying; palm olein sample before frying
(PO), palm olein sample taken after the first (PO1), third (PO3), fifth (PO5) and
seventh (PO7) frying.
The peroxide value (PV) [SRPS EN ISO 660:2015], expressed in mmol/kg,
was determined by the reaction of oil and chloroform: acetic acid (3:2) with
potassium iodide in darkness. The free iodine was then titrated with thiosulfate
solution.
The acid value (AV) [SRPS EN ISO 3960:2016], expressed in mg KOH/g,
was determined by the titration of a solution of oil dissolved in ethanol: ether (1:1)
with an ethanolic solution of potassium hydroxide.
Statistical analysis. Statistical analysis was performed using the statistical
software STATISTICA 12. The results are shown as the arithmetic mean of three
replicates ± standard deviation, and the differences between sample groups were
determined by Duncan’s test. Results were considered at the significance level of α
= 0.05. Correlation analysis was carried out using the same program.

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64 Dragana M. Paunović et al.

Results and Discussion

The results of peroxide and acid values of sunflower oil and palm olein
samples before and during potato frying are given in Table 1.

Table 1. The peroxide value (PV) and the acid value (AV) of sunflower oil and
palm olein samples before and during potato frying.

Samples AV (mg KOH/g) PV (mmol/kg)

c
SO 0.28 ± 0.008 2.00c ± 0.004
SO1 0.28c ± 0.016 2.30c ± 0.008
c
SO3 0.28 ± 0.008 2.50c ± 0.016
SO5 0.35c ± 0.012 3.25cb ± 0.000
cb
SO7 0.42 ± 0.008 3.50cb ± 0.004
PO 0.56ba ± 0.012 2.25c ± 0.008
a
PO1 0.64 ± 0.000 4.50cba ± 0.000
PO3 0.71a ± 0.008 6.50a ± 0.004
a
PO5 0.71 ± 0.000 5.50ba ± 0.008
PO7 0.71a ± 0.004 4.00cba ± 0.000
Values are presented as means±SD (n=3); Different letters indicate a significant difference between
the sample groups at the significance level of α = 0.05.

Based on these results, it can be seen that palm olein had the free fatty acid
content significantly higher in comparison to sunflower oil before frying.
Furthermore, the free fatty acid content in sunflower oil and palm olein increased
by 50.0% and 26.8% after seven days of frying, respectively, in relation to their
initial values in the fresh oil samples. The free fatty acid content in palm olein
increased immediately after the first frying, and had constant values after the third
frying, while sunflower oil had an increase of the free fatty acid content only after
the third frying, but subsequently tended to increase. In the study of Gunnepana
and Nawaratne (2015), it was observed that palm olein also had higher values of
free fatty acids compared to sunflower oil before the frying process and that both
oils showed an increase in the free fatty acid content during multiple frying. Also,
according to published results of Gunnepana and Nawaratne (2015), a sudden
increase in the free fatty acid content in palm olein after the first frying can be
observed. When the acidity of the oil is significantly increased, it is a sign that
hydrolytic reactions of the lipids have taken place, resulting in the cleavage of ester
bonds and the separation of free fatty acids. Oils with a high content of free fatty
acids have a foreign, unpleasant, soapy-acidic and pungent taste (Ebba et al.,
2012).

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 Quality parameters of sunflower oil and palm olein during multiple frying 65

In auto-oxidative processes under the effect of oxygen, light, elevated

temperature, moisture and heavy metal ions, the chain reaction in oils produces
very reactive peroxides. They can be polymerised and, at higher temperatures,
decomposed to carbonyl compounds which contribute to the rancid taste and aroma
(Kaleem et al., 2015).
Based on the results obtained in this experiment, it can be concluded that
sunflower oil and palm olein had a significant increase in the peroxide value after
seven days of frying. Both oils had a similar peroxide value before and after frying.
The difference was that palm olein had a significantly faster increase in the
peroxide value until the third frying, and after that, it showed a decrease of this
parameter. The decrease in the peroxide value of palm olein can be explained by
the fact that peroxides can evaporate, decompose and react with other compounds
during deep frying (Choe and Min, 2006; Alhibshi et al., 2016). Unlike palm olein,
sunflower oil had a gradual increase in the peroxide value during all seven days of
frying. The results showed that the peroxide value in sunflower oil and palm olein
increased by 75.0% and 77.8%, respectively, in relation to their initial values in the
fresh oil samples. Slightly different results can be observed in the research of
Gunnepana and Nawaratne (2015). Both oils had a gradual increase in the peroxide
value during multiple frying, but palm olein had a significantly higher content of
the peroxide value than sunflower oil at the very beginning of the experiment,
which in particular affected this parameter increase during frying. According to
Gunnepana and Nawaratne (2015), palm olein had neither a sudden increase nor a
sudden decrease in the peroxide value.
De Marco et al. (2007) compared the quality of pure palm oil and the blend of
sunflower/palm oil (65/35 vol/vol) during potato frying. The selected blend showed
a higher tocopherol content and a lower increment in free fatty acids in relation to
pure palm oil, but the other parameters which indicate quality deterioration
increased faster in the blend (De Marco et al., 2007). In the research of Aladedunye
and Przybylski (2014), high-oleic sunflower oil showed a significantly higher
frying stability in relation to palm olein during frying at 185°C for 6 days.
Multiple frying affected the quality of sunflower oil and palm olein. Also,
alternating heating and cooling caused the deterioration of oil quality because the
oxygen solubility increases in the oil when the oil cools down from the frying
temperature (gases are more soluble in liquids at the lower temperature) (Choe and
Min, 2007). Based on these results, it can be concluded that palm olein was more
suitable for frying. However, this finding cannot be reported with certainty because
the quality of the oil depends on many more parameters (water and other volatile
compound contents, oil alkalinity, solvent residue, oxidative stability, etc.), not
only on those analysed in this paper.

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66 Dragana M. Paunović et al.

Conclusion

The chemical reactions of hydrolysis, oxidation, isomerisation and

polymerisation during deep frying contribute to the deterioration of the oil quality.
Numerous compounds are formed such as, among others, free fatty acids and
peroxides. In addition to the type of oil, the change in the quality was affected by
the period of frying. The results showed that acid values for sunflower oil and palm
olein increased by 50.0% and 26.8%, respectively, in relation to their initial values
in the fresh oil samples, but palm olein had a higher initial free fatty acid content
compared to sunflower oil. The peroxide value in sunflower oil and palm olein
increased by 75.0% and 77.8%, respectively, in relation to their initial values in the
fresh oil samples. Although palm olein had a greater increase in the peroxide value,
a decrease in the peroxide value was observed during frying, unlike sunflower oil,
where this parameter had a constant increase. Based on these results, it could be
concluded that the palm olein was in some respect more suitable for frying.
However, this finding cannot be reported with certainty because the quality of the
oil depends on many more parameters, not only on those analysed in this paper.

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of the
Republic of Serbia (Grant Nos. 46001, 46010 and 31020).

References

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Alhibshi, E.A., Ibraheim, J.A., & Hadad, A.S. (2016). Effect of Heat Processing and Storage on
Characteristic and Stability of Some Edible Oils. Proceedings of the 6th Int'l Conference on
Agriculture, Environment and Biological Sciences (ICAEBS'16) (pp. 105-109). Kuala Lumpur.
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Edem, D.O. (2002). Palm oil: Biochemical, physiological, nutritional, hematological and
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Received: November 14, 2019

Accepted: January 28, 2020

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68 Dragana M. Paunović et al.

PARAMETRI KVALITETA SUNCOKRETOVOG ULJA I PALMINOG OLEINA

TOKOM VIŠESTRUKOG PRŽENJA

Dragana M. Paunović1∗, Mirjana A. Demin1, Tanja S. Petrović1,

Jovana M. Marković1, Vesna B. Vujasinović2 i Biljana B. Rabrenović1
1
Univerzitet u Beogradu, Poljoprivredni fakultet,
Nemanjina 6, 11080 Zemun-Beograd, Srbija
2
Univerzitet u Novom Sadu, Prirodno-matematički fakultet,
Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, 21000 Novi Sad, Srbija

Rezime

U prehrambenoj industriji se za proizvodnju prženog krompira koriste

rafinisano suncokretovo i palmino ulje. Prema literaturnim podacima, palmino ulje
ima manju sklonost ka degradacionim promenama u odnosu na suncokretovo ulje,
zahvaljujući sastavu masnih kiselina. Međutim, palmin olein je frakcija palminog
ulja i samim tim ima drugačiji sastav masnih kiselina. Cilj ovog rada bio je da se
ispita kvalitet rafinisanog palminog oleina u odnosu na rafinisano suncokretovo
ulje tokom proizvodnje prženog krompira. Uzorci ulja su korišćeni za višestruko
prženje tokom sedam dana (po 40 minuta svakog dana, na temperaturi od 165oC).
Peroksidni broj i sadržaj slobodnih masnih kiselina (kiselinski broj) određeni su
standardnim analitičkim metodama. Rezultati su pokazali da se peroksidni broj u
suncokretovom ulju i palminom oleinu povećao 75,0% odnosno 77,8%, dok se
kiselinski broj povećao 50,0% odnosno 26,8%, u odnosu na početne vrednosti u
uzorcima svežeg ulja. Na osnovu ovih rezultata može se zaključiti da je palmin
olein pogodniji za prženje. Međutim, ovaj zaključak se ne može navesti sa
sigurnošću jer kvalitet ulja zavisi od mnogo više parametara, a ne samo od onih
analiziranih u ovom radu.
Ključne reči: suncokretovo ulje, palmin olein, peroksidni broj, kiselinski broj.

Primljeno: 14. novembra 2019.

Odobreno: 28. januara 2020.

∗
Autor za kontakt: e-mail: draganap@agrif.bg.ac.rs

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