Comparison between Indian and commercial chamomile essential oils: Chemical compositions, antioxidant activities and preventive effect on oxidation of Asian seabass visceral depot fat oil

Antioxidant properties of indigenous Indian (ICO) and commercial (CCO) chamomile essential oils (EOs) and their application in preventing lipid oxidation of fish oil were investigated. Solid-phase micro-extraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPME-GCMS) revealed dominant compounds to be alpha-bisabolol and chamazulene in ICO, while alpha-farnesene and delta-cadinene in CCO. Both EOs exhibited similar 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) values but ICO showed superior effect in beta-carotene/linoleic system. When applied in Asian seabass visceral depot fat oil (SVDFO), ICO (400 mg/L) significantly reduced peroxide values after 15 days (30 degrees C) and slightly lowered thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and anisidine values. ICO (400 mg/L) showed comparable efficacy in preventing the oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) to 200 mg/L butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) within 0-12 days. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) analysis confirmed preservation of PUFA double bonds by ICO. Therefore, chamomile EOs, especially ICO, could prevent lipid peroxidation in PUFA-rich oils.