Integral Kinetic Model for Studying Quercetin Degradation and Oxidation as Affected by Cholesterol During Heating

Abstract: The degradation and oxidation of quercetin, as affected by cholesterol during heating at 150 °C, was kinetically studied using non-linear regression models. Both TLC and HPLC were used to monitor the changes of quercetin, cholesterol and cholesterol oxidation products (COPs) during heating. The formation of COPs, including triol, 7-keto, 7a-OH and 7b-OH, was completely inhibited during the initial 30 minute heating period in the presence of 0.02% quercetin, accompanied by reduction in cholesterol peroxidation and degradation. However, the quercetin degradation or oxidation proceeded fast, with the rate constants (h^-1) in the presence of nitrogen, oxygen and the combination of oxygen and cholesterol being 0.253, 0.868 and 7.17, respectively. When cholesterol and quercetin were heated together, the rate constants (h^-1) of cholesterol peroxidation, epoxidation and degradation were 1.8 ´ 10^-4, 0.016 and 0.19, respectively. The correlation coefficients (r²) for all the oxidative and degradation reactions ranged from 0.82-0.99. The kinetic models developed in this study may be used to predict the degradation and oxidation of quercetin as affected by cholesterol during heating.