The present study was carried out to preserve fish oil by using seven different plant component extracts. These were Malabar Cardamom (Elettaria cardamum, Enasahal, (seed of)), Indian Gooseberry (Phynanthus emblica, Nelli (seed of)), Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Kaurndu (bark of)), Kekirindiya {Eclipta prostata, Kekirindiya (leaves of)), Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum, Uluhal (seed of)), Khus-Khus grass (Vetiveria zizatiioides, Savandana (roots of)) and Tamarind (Tamarindus indica, Siyambala (fruit of)). The dried samples were extracted with methanol followed by carbon tetrachloride and the concentrated mixtures were applied to the fish oil in 4000 ppm concentration and the control fish oil sample was treated with 400 ppm BHT. The quality of these mixtures was measured by determining peroxide value, free fatty acid value and fatty acid composition thirteen times, over a seventy nine day storage period at room temperature (30°C).
There were no significant differences in quality between the blank and the plant component extracts except P. emblica. The values of peroxide and free fatty acid, in the sample treated with P. emblica, were very low (peroxide: 214m.eq/lkg and FFA: 3.18% on the 62th day) and these peroxide values were better than the control. In the treated sample decomposition of polyunsaturated fatty acids was also very low. The quality of the oil was maintained high for up to 60 days.