Abstract
Antioxidative activities of thirty kinds of citrus essential oils and their fourteen components against linoleic acid oxidation were examined by a thiocyanate method. The tocopherol contents of these oils were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography monitored at 290 nm. All the citrus essential oils and the flavor components showed inhibitory effects against linoleic acid oxidation. Highest antioxidative ability was observed in the essential oils of yuzu, lemon, hassaku, sudachi, mochiyu, yuko and Tarocco orange. Antioxidative activities of β-pinene, myrcene, α-terpinene, γ-terpinene and decanal were higher or similar to that of d-tocopherol. Tocopherols were contained abundantly in the essential oils of limes, Valencia orange, yuzu and lemons. However, there was little correlation between tocopherol contents and antioxidative activities in citrus essential oils. The composition of terpene compounds seems to be a major factor in the antioxidative activities of these oils.
