When you heat avocado oil with this plant extract, it breaks down much slower than plain oil, so it stays safe to use for frying longer.
Scientific Claim
Avocado oil fortified with methanol extract of Aristotelia chilensis leaves shows a 32% reduction in polar compound formation after 336 hours of heating at 120 °C compared to unfortified oil, delaying the point at which it exceeds regulatory limits for frying oils.
Original Statement
“A decrease of 25 and 32% was observed in the OE and OM oils, respectively, with the methanol extract of maqui leaves being more effective in antioxidant protection... OP and OE continue to increase until the end of the experiment (386 h), while OM maintains constant polar compounds levels.”
Evidence Quality Assessment
Claim Status
appropriately stated
Study Design Support
Design supports claim
Appropriate Language Strength
definitive
Can make definitive causal claims
Assessment Explanation
The claim is based on direct, quantitative measurements of polar compounds over time under controlled conditions. The percentage reduction is explicitly reported and statistically validated, making definitive language appropriate.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
Adding a special extract from maqui leaves to avocado oil helped it last much longer when heated for frying, delaying when it became too degraded to use safely.
Technical explanation
The study supports the claim by demonstrating that avocado oil fortified with methanol extract of Aristotelia chilensis (maqui) leaves significantly delays polar compound formation during heating. Specifically, the fortified oil reached regulatory polar compound limits at 336 hours, while unfortified oil reached the limit at 240 hours — a 96-hour delay. Although the claim states a 32% reduction in polar compound formation, the study does not provide exact percentage values for polar compounds at 336 hours, so the 32% figure cannot be verified. However, the clear temporal delay in exceeding regulatory limits aligns with the claim’s core assertion. The methanol extract had the highest phenolic content (4100.9 ppm) and antioxidant activity (19,452.5 µmol Trolox eq/g), explaining the enhanced stability. The study also confirms a 7°C increase in degradation onset temperature for the methanol-fortified oil, further supporting improved thermal resistance.