Evaluation of Moringa oleifera Seed Oil as a Natural Antioxidant in Various Vegetable Oils

Oxidative deterioration reduces the quality and shelf life of edible oils, creating interest in plant‐derived alternatives to synthetic antioxidants. This study evaluated cold‐pressed Moringa oleifera seed oil as an antioxidant treatment in sunflower, groundnut, soybean, avocado seed, and pumpkin seed oils; a high‐concentration BHT treatment was included solely as a noncommercial experimental control. The vegetable‐oil matrices were prepared using four extraction or processing procedures and treated with 0, 0.1, 0.2, or 0.3 g of M. oleifera seed oil per 10 g of oil, or with 0.3 g of BHT per 10 g of oil. The resulting 4 × 5 × 5 factorial experiment comprised 100 treatment combinations, each represented by three independently stored bottles. Soxhlet‐extractable fat and fatty‐acid composition were determined at the extraction/processing‐batch level and are reported descriptively; antioxidant‐treatment effects were not tested for these variables. Peroxide value and dynamic viscosity were measured independently on each stored bottle after 90 days. Samples were stored in loosely covered 250 mL amber glass bottles containing 200 mL of oil and approximately 50 mL of headspace at approximately 24°C and 50 ± 5% relative humidity under an approximately 12 h light/12 h dark cycle. The batch‐level mean Soxhlet‐extractable fat content was highest for dry roasting, followed by cold pressing (94.013 g/100 g crude preparation, as analyzed), and lowest for aqueous extraction (75.800 g/100 g). At the 90‐day endpoint, untreated oils had a mean peroxide value of 5.293 meq O₂/kg, compared with 2.069 meq O₂/kg for oils treated with 0.3 g of M. oleifera seed oil per 10 g of oil. The 3% BHT experimental control had a mean of 1.085 meq O₂/kg; this concentration exceeded the applicable food‐additive limit and is not a recommended application level. Antioxidant treatment did not significantly affect dynamic viscosity. M. oleifera seed oil was associated with lower peroxide formation under the tested laboratory conditions. The results do not establish product safety, long‐term efficacy, or performance under commercial storage conditions.