Evaluation of solvent effects on the DPPH reactivity for determining the antioxidant activity in oil matrix

Reactivity of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical in methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, isooctane, and ethyl acetate, was evaluated to assess the antioxidant capabilities in medium chain triacylglycerol. DPPH loss values were obtained over 30 min, with sampling every 5 min. Even the same concentration of antioxidants showed different DPPH reactivity depending on solvent. In methanol, 5 min was enough for α-tocopherol to react with DPPH, whereas BHT did not react with DPPH even after 30 min. Gallate series showed higher DPPH reactivity than TBHQ, sesamol, or BHA in methanol, while lower reactivity in isooctane. Antioxidants in ethanol and isopropanol reacted with DPPH less efficiently compared to those in methanol, the exception being sesamol. DPPH reactivity of gallate series in isooctane was lower than that of sesamol, TBHQ, and α-tocopherol. Combinatorial usage of methanol and isooctane for DPPH reactivity could provide reliable information on the antioxidant capacities of chemicals in edible oils.