Physicochemical Characteristics and Thermal Stability of Perilla Seed Oil of Indian Origin

There is an increasing interest of food scientists in finding new alternatives to PUFA rich edible oil. Perilla seed oil (CPSO), an underutilized oilseed, can be used as an edible oil source. Oil extracted by the cold-pressed method from perilla seeds gives a yield of 36.50%. This study reports the physicochemical properties, the oxidative and thermal stability of the cold-pressed perilla seed oil. The viscosity, specific gravity, refractive index, and smoke point of CPSO were 28 m.Pa.s, 0.92, 1.43, and 241 ℃, respectively. The peroxide, acid, iodine, saponification value, and unsaponified matter of CPSO were 4.81 meq O2/kg oil, 1.61 g KOH/kg oil, 132 g KOH/kg oil, 180 g I2/kg oil, and 0.64%, respectively. It consists of high α -linolenic acid (55.80% of total oil) followed by oleic acid (20.54%). The extracted oil is analyzed for its thermal stability (peroxide value, free fatty acids, p- anisidine value, totox value, and total polar compounds) and storage stability for 120 days in two different storage conditions (refrigerated and room temperature). Despite having high nutritional benefits, the oil stability index (0.50 h) of the perilla seed oil is low, limiting its utilization as a frying oil. Therefore, perilla seed oil requires process optimization to increase its stability during heating.