Impact of cooking methods on the oxidative stability of fish balls enriched with solvent-specific antioxidant sources

This study evaluated the effects of various cooking methods on the oxidative stability of fish balls, used as a model for oxidizable food, enriched with antioxidant sources: cacao powder (CP), exhibiting higher activity in polar solvents, and ginger powder (GP), showing higher activity in non-polar solvents. CP or GP was incorporated at equivalent antioxidant levels, and the fish balls were prepared using boiling, steaming, air-frying, deep-frying, oven-roasting, or microwave cooking. Cooking reduced antioxidant activity to 20% and raised lipid oxidation products (LOP) up to 3.3-fold depending on the method. During frozen storage, LOP formation was lower in cooked fish balls compared to uncooked counterparts, with GP demonstrating superior effectiveness in mitigating the effects of different cooking methods. These findings indicate that cooking influences the oxidative stability of fish balls and that non-polar antioxidants, such as GP, are more effective than polar antioxidants, such as CP, in enhancing lipid oxidative stability.