The present paper had the objectives of measuring the antioxidant activity of different extracts of the mushroom Agaricus blazei and evaluating the oxidative stability of soybean oil added with the mushroom extract. The mushroom dried in stove at 55ºC and ground (10g) was submit to extraction with 100 mL methanol and methanol:water (1:1) for six and 12 hours, respectively, at room temperature. The extract with the highest antioxidant activity, according to the DPPH method, was added to the soybean oil at the concentration of 0.1% total phenolic compounds and then submitted to the Rancimat method and to the accelerated test in stove at 60ºC for 16 days. Samples of oil were withdrawn every four days and the rate of peroxides and conjugated dienes were analyzed. The synthetic antioxidants BHT (100 mg/kg), TBHQ (50 mg/kg), and antioxidant-free soybean oil (control) were used as comparison parameters. The results showed that the methanol:water extract resulting from six hours of extraction presented the highest antioxidant activity. The oxidative stability of the mushroom extract, the synthetic antioxidants, and the control followed the sequence: TBHQ > mushroom extract > BHT = soybean oil (control). The mushroom extract was also efficient regarding the formation of peroxides and conjugated dienes. Despite the increase of these compounds over the time, the extract was less efficient than BHT and more efficient than TBHQ. The mushroom extract has shown effective in the protection of the oil, bearing the potential of a natural antioxidant.
Antioxidants; mushroom; oxidative stability; soybean oil
