Abstract
Averrhoa carambola is a phenolics rich fruit and shows antioxidant activity in scavenging free radicals. Milled raw soya bean and ground nut oils were used to study shelf life and amount of rancidity in the presence of Averrhoa carambola fruit’s dry powder. The experiment was designed to record proximate parameters using a standard method of analysis. The density and viscosity of oil samples changes slightly with the amount of dry powder of the fruit. The peroxide value of experimental oil samples SBO and GNO in the presence of 0.9g of dry powder of the fruit shows a minimum value of 110 and 107meq/kg with comparison of the blank sample, 146 and 128meq/kg respectively, during the observation period of 64 days. A sample with standard antioxidant Butylated hydroxyl toluene records peroxide values of 76 and 83meq/kg, which was the least value showing an effective control of primary oxidation of edible oils. Relatively, the antioxidant property of dry powder of star fruits conspicuously controls the rancidity by retarding the peroxidation. Paraanisidine values were recorded as the lowest values for experimental oil samples, 1.5 and 1.3 for SBO and GNO respectively, with respect to 0.9g star fruit powder compared to blank oil samples *SBO and *GNO, which give 4.9 and 4.7 respectively. The rancidity of edible oils is effectively controlled by dry powder of star fruit and the fruit is available in plenty with less cost, it can be utilized as a natural preservative to increases the shelf life of edible oil.
Keywords: Averrhoa-carambola, Butylated Hydroxyl Toluene, Peroxide Value, Para Anisidine Value, Rancidity.