Abstract:

An alkaline treatment process was described to remove pericarp oil from Dahongpao Sichuan pepper before
screw pressing. The oxidative stability of the pressed oil under different conditions of temperature, light, air and antioxidants
was evaluated in terms of peroxide value (POV). Under optimized conditions, 93.85% of the pericarp oil of Sichuan pepper
was removed, and the yield of pressed oil was 20.2%. Exposure to heat, light and air accelerated the oxidation of Sichuan
pepper oil, and heat was the most important factor followed by light and air. All TBHQ, VE and sesamol could markedly
improve the stability of the essential oil, and TBHQ was the best antioxidant at the same doses.

Key words: Sichuan pepper oil, oil pressing, oxidation stability, peroxide value, antioxidant