Evaluation of Quality Changes in Huajiao Seed Oil During Different Storage Conditions

Huajiao seed oil is a high-quality edible vegetable oil that is rich in unsaturated fatty acids. Because of this characteristic, it exhibits poor stability and is prone to oxidation. However, storage methods significantly influence oxidative stability. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of temperature (4, 25, and 37 °C), light exposure, and packaging materials (glass bottle, PET bottle, and iron can) on the quality of Huajiao seed oil during storage. The results demonstrate that low temperature effectively retarded the increase in acid value, peroxide value, p-anisidine value, and the content of secondary oxidation products. It also slowed down the degradation of squalene and α-tocopherols. Prolonged light exposure accelerated the oxidative rancidity of Huajiao seed oil. Oil stored in glass bottles exhibited a lower degree of oxidation than that stored in PET bottles or iron cans, and when stored under conditions of 4 °C/glass bottle/darkness, it had a shelf life of up to 7.34 months. The main volatile compounds generated in Huajiao seed oil during storage were aldehydes and acids.