Abstract
Ginkgo biloba leaf flavonoids, while demonstrating antioxidant potential, remain underexplored as natural stabilizers for frying oils under thermo-oxidative stress. This study assessed Ginkgo biloba leaf flavonoids efficacy against synthetic tertiary-butylhydroquinone (0.02%). Ginkgo biloba leaf flavonoids were extracted via optimized ultrasonic-assisted methods (15 mL/g solvent, 80% ethanol, 45 °C, 120 s). Frying stability in flaxseed and soybean oils over 6 days (24 cycles/day) was evaluated using multi-indicator kinetic analysis. Ginkgo biloba leaf flavonoids significantly outperformed tertiary-butylhydroquinone in reducing oxidation markers after 6 days. In flaxseed oil, Ginkgo biloba leaf flavonoids reduced acid value (18.4%), peroxide value (33.79%), and polar compounds (52.03%); reductions in soybean oil reached 61.34% for polar compounds. Ginkgo biloba leaf flavonoids better preserved γ-tocopherol in flaxseed oil (increased 2.09% retention) and key tocopherols in soybean oil. Critically, it mitigated unsaturated fatty acid losses (flaxseed C18:3: 2.72% higher; soybean C18:2: 4.4% higher) and limited saturated fatty acid increases. Optimized Ginkgo biloba leaf flavonoid extraction facilitates its application as a promising natural candidate for high-temperature frying, where its matrix-specific stabilization effect shows potential in commercial functional oil formulations.