The role of pumpkin seed oil in slowing lipid oxidation in functional beverages and its kinetic models

Abstract

The article investigates the role of pumpkin seed oil as a natural inhibitor of lipid oxidation in functional plant-based beverages. The main attention is paid to the quantitative assessment of antioxidant activity and construction of kinetic models of oxidative degradation of lipids during storage. Soy milk-based emulsions with the addition of pumpkin seed oil in concentrations of 1-5% were used as a model system. Oxidation was assessed by the peroxide value (PV), thiobarbituric acid index (TBA), and tocopherol content for 28 days at 25°C. It was found that the addition of 3% pumpkin oil reduces the oxidation rate by 32% for PV and by 29% for TBA. Based on the experimental data, a first-order kinetic model with a correlation coefficient of R² = 0.96 was constructed. The induction period was increased from 8 to 14 days. The results confirm that pumpkin seed oil effectively inhibits oxidation chain reactions due to its high γ-tocopherol and carotenoid content, and the developed kinetic model allows for the shelf life prediction of functional beverages.