Abstract
Metabolism of n-3 polyenoic fatty acid have been recognized to be a dominant factor in health and diseases in humans. Recently attention focuses on perilla seed oil as edible oil and dietary supplement of n-3 acids which give an appropriate n-6 : n-3 ratio in dietary polyenoic fatty acids, though there is no consistency in its appropriate ratio among the investigators. On the other hand, the potential applications of perilla oil are limited by an insufficiency of the oxidative stability due to high degree of unsaturation. This review mainly describes the recent advances in the studies of the lipid nutrition focused on n-3 acids and works on the oxidative stabilities of the seed oil of perilla frutescens, including the preventive countermeasures to the oxidative deterioration of perilla seed oil, in order to make better use of perilla seeds and its oil for dietary purposes such as a dressing and modified fats for breads. We found that refregeration, shading, and/or addition of the antioxidants such as tea leaf catechins extremely increases the oxidative stabilities of perilla oil. The effect of mixed tocopherols and ascorbyl palmitate was insufficient to prevent the autoxidation of perilla oil. The perilla seeds also may be utilized as excellent foodstuff, which contain enough n-3 fatty oil, polyphenols and dietary fiber.
