Principal component analysis of measured quantities during degradation of hydroperoxides in oxidized vegetable oils.

Decomposition of hydroperoxides in sunflower oil under strictly oxygen-free conditions was followed by measuring peroxide values against time, absorbance values at 232 and 268 nm, para-anisidine values, and by quantitative analyses of volatile products using various additives. The results were arranged in a matrix form and subjected to principal component analysis. Three principal components explained 89-97% of the total variance in the data. The measured quantities and the effect of additives were closely related. Characteristic plots showed similarities among the measured quantities (loading plots) and among the additives (score plots). Initial decomposition rate of hydroperoxides and the amount of volatile products formed were similar to each other. The outliers, the absorbance values, were similar to each other but carried independent information from the other quantities. Para-anisidine value (PAV) was a unique parameter. Since PAV behaved differently during the course of hydroperoxide degradation, it served as a kinetic indicator. Most additives were similar in their effects on the mentioned quantities, but two outliers were also observed. Rotation of the principal component axes did not change the dominant patterns observed. The investigations clearly showed which variables were worth measuring to evaluate different additives.