Digital image colorimetric analysis for evaluating lipid oxidation in oils and its emulsion

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Food Science
• Image Analysis

Background:

• Lipid peroxidation is a critical indicator of oxidative stress and food quality.
• Conventional methods for monitoring peroxide values (PV) can be time-consuming and require specialized equipment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel Image-J based method for quantifying lipid peroxidation.
• To assess the accuracy and reliability of the Image-J method compared to established analytical techniques.

Main Methods:

• Optical analytical images were captured using a digital camera.
• Lipid peroxidation was monitored via colorimetric determination and analyzed using the Image-J software.
• The Image-J method's accuracy was compared against American Oil Chemists' Society titration and UV-Vis spectroscopy.

Main Results:

• The Image-J method demonstrated comparable accuracy to conventional titration and UV-Vis spectroscopy.
• A strong correlation (R² = 0.9836) was observed between the Image-J and UV-Vis methods within the 3-14 meq.O₂/kg PV range.
• The method achieved a limit of detection of 0.175 meq.O₂/kg and a limit of quantitation of 0.35 meq.O₂/kg.

Conclusions:

• The proposed Image-J application provides a fast and accurate method for peroxide value determination.
• This technique facilitates the development of portable devices for real-time quality control.
• Potential applications include quality assurance for small-scale agricultural producers and SMEs.