Thiobarbituric Acid-Reactive Substances in Chicken Fat and Unsaturated Fatty Acids

When autoxidized chicken fat and unsaturated fatty acids were subjected to thiobarbituric acid (TBA) test in trichloracetic acid, all samples revealed two absorption maxima at 532 and 455 nm. Rate of increase in the TBA-reactive substances (TBARS) at 532 nm was different from that in the TBARS at 455 nm. It was suggested that there were several kinds of TBARS in the autoxidized samples: the TBARS at 532 mn which were unstable in the autoxidation process and slowly liberated malonaldehyde; the TBARS at 532 nm which liberated malonaldehyde rapidly; and the TBARS at 455 nm which liberated other aldehydes unstable after reaction with TBA.