The search for cost-efficient natural antioxidants has led to the exploration with raw materials of residual origin. The present introduction of lipid oxidation and the antioxidant mechanisms, as well as the most recent research on the recovery and utilization of food processing wastes. A majority of these natural materials contains phenolic acids and flavonoids, the levels of actives in the wastes are usually found to be higher than the actual products. Gaps in the area of by-products research as well as constraints of waste exploitation. Bioactive compounds found in granules, pallets and powder (peels of banana, apple, pomegranate, orange and tulsi leaves) were extracted using ethanol (80%), ethyl acetate and n-hexane. Total phenolic compounds (as gallic acid equivalent) ranged between 0.89 and 16.6, 1.83 and 261, and 1.56 and 124 mg gallic acid/g extract for granules, pallets and powder, respectively. Ethanol extracts of different by-products were added to ghee at concentrations of 200, 400 and 600 ppm, respectively. BHA was also added to ghee at a concentration of 200 ppm for comparison. All samples were incubated at 63 C for 6 months. Ethanol extracts of granules, pallets and powder gave good antioxidant activity during accelerated oxidative incubation of ghee. The results revealed that ethanolic extracts under study, at a concentration of 200 ppm, could be used to retard fat auto-oxidation.
