COMPOSITION AND OXIDATIVE STABILITY OF BORAGE (BORAGO-OFFICINALIS L) AND BORAGE-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL BLENDS

The oxidative stability of borage (Borago officinalis L.) oils from commercial origin or extracted by different methods (with solvents and supercritical CO2) was determined by the Rancimat method. To delay the oxidative degradation with the aim of preserving the nutritional characteristics of borage oil, several borage-virgin olive oil blends were prepared and submitted to analysis. The results indicated that the incorporation of borage in virgin olive oil (to a level not exceeding 50 g/kg) while modifying the fatty acid profile of the resulting blends had a limited effect on the oxidative stability provided that the blends were maintained in the absence of light.