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Article
The Relationship Between the Physicochemical Properties of Antioxidants and their Ability to Inhibit Lipid Oxidation in Bulk Oil and Oil-in-Water Emulsions
Journal of Agricultural & Food Chemistry (2005)
  • Wilailuk Chaiyasit
  • D. Julian McClements, University of Massachusetts - Amherst
  • Eric A Decker, University of Massachusetts - Amherst
Abstract

Chain-breaking antioxidants differ in their effectiveness at inhibiting lipid oxidation because of their chemical properties and physical location within a food. Our objective was how the physicochemical properties of four structurally related lipid-soluble antioxidants were related to their antioxidant activity. Antioxidants differed in the number of methyl (α-tocopherol and δ-tocopherol) or hydroxyl (butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and 4-hydroxymethyl-2,6-ditertiarybutylphenol) groups. Surface activity of the antioxidants was in the order of δ-tocopherol > α-tocopherol ≈ 4-hydroxymethyl-2,6-ditertiarybutylphenol > BHT. Free-radical scavenging activity was similar between α-tocopherol and δ-tocopherol as well as BHT and 4-hydroxymethyl-2,6-ditertiarybutylphenol. In bulk menhaden oil, BHT was a more effective antioxidant than 4-hydroxymethyl-2,6-ditertiarybutylphenol while α-tocopherol was more effective than δ-tocopherol. In menhaden oil-in-water emulsions, BHT was a more effective antioxidant than 4-hydroxymethyl-2,6-ditertiarybutylphenol while δ-tocopherol was more effective than α-tocopherol. These results indicate that the surface activity and polarity of lipid-soluble antioxidants were not the only determinants of their antioxidant effectiveness in food lipids.

Keywords
  • Lipid oxidation; fish oil; interfacial tension; antioxidants; tocopherol; BHT; ω-3 fatty acids
Disciplines
Publication Date
2005
Publisher Statement
DOI: 10.1021/jf0501239
Citation Information
Wilailuk Chaiyasit, D. Julian McClements and Eric A Decker. "The Relationship Between the Physicochemical Properties of Antioxidants and their Ability to Inhibit Lipid Oxidation in Bulk Oil and Oil-in-Water Emulsions" Journal of Agricultural & Food Chemistry Vol. 53 Iss. 12 (2005)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/djulian_mcclements/143/