Development of an Accessible Guided-Inquiry Laboratory Experiment for Undergraduate Food Chemistry Students through Qualitative Analysis of Lipid Oxidation in Fats and Oils

Abstract

This study reports a successful adaptation of an inquiry-based laboratory experiment for a qualitative evaluation of the factors that affect lipid oxidation. The experiment was implemented in two consecutive 1.5 hour lab periods in the undergraduate course Fundaments of Food Chemistry at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus. The research question was presented to the students in a semistructured problem format, asking them to explore and discover the factors that affect the oxidation of fats and oils in the foods they frequently consume. The students’ ideas were discussed, and in collaboration, the students decided on the selection of lipids, antioxidants, and pro-oxidants based on literature research. The instructor guided the students through the planning of the experimental process and then performed qualitative tests without knowing what results to expect beforehand. The groups took notes, shared them, and analyzed the qualitative test results based on the theory and their experimental findings to answer the question related to the experiment. The students’ learning experience was assessed through pre- and postassessment tests, a student’s perception questionnaire, and the postassignment. The potential advantages of this guided-inquiry laboratory experiment are its adaptability to virtual or at-home settings, its accessibility through the use of commercially available products such as pro-oxidants or antioxidants, and its enhanced convenience, cost-effectiveness, and safety.