Anti-Oxidants in Food: The Significance of Characterisation, Identification, Chemical and Biological Assays in Determining the Role of Anti-Oxidants in Food

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 February 2017) | Viewed by 33020

Special Issue Editor

Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Leeds Metropolitan University, Calverley Street, Leeds LS1 3HE, UK
Interests: fantioxidants; reactive oxidative species; polysaccharides; diet and cancer
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

There is a vast research literature on the anti-oxidant content in food Typically, two to three thousand papers per year may be found on this topic. Most of these determine total antioxidant concentration and an ever- increasing number identify the individual anti-oxidant molecules. Combined with these measurements, a number of anti-oxidant assays, such as DPPH, ABTS, ORAC, FRAP and TEAC, are commonly used. In a few cases, biological assays, typically involving cell culture, also provide useful information on the effectiveness of anti-oxidants.
Anti-oxidants react with free radicals and reactive oxidative species ROS) and, hence, have the potential to avoid the damaging effects of these reactive species on cellular components, particularly DNA. Anti-oxidant assays all purport to measure total anti-oxidant activity but yet different assays often do not correlate when measuring the same mixture of anti-oxidants. Many assays are now informed by precise identification of the individual anti-oxidant molecules. In addition, there is much data now available on the reactivities of such molecules with specific free radicals and ROS. In principle, therefore, it is possible to reconcile the correlation (or lack of) of anti-oxidant mixtures.
In this Special Issue, therefore, submissions of both original papers and reviews are sought which provide insights into the correlation of characterisation, identification, chemical, biological and other assays of food-based anti-oxidant mixtures.

Prof. Dr. Barry J. Parsons
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • Food;
  • Anti-oxidants;
  • reactive oxidative species;
  • chemical and biological assays

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Editorial

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619 KiB  
Editorial
Antioxidants in Food: The Significance of Characterisation, Identification, Chemical and Biological Assays in Determining the Role of Antioxidants in Food
by Barry J. Parsons
Foods 2017, 6(8), 68; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods6080068 - 14 Aug 2017
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 5342
Abstract
There is a vast research literature on the antioxidant activity in food. [...] Full article
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Research

Jump to: Editorial

341 KiB  
Article
Aromatic Plants: Antioxidant Capacity and Polyphenol Characterisation
by Charalampos Proestos and Theo Varzakas
Foods 2017, 6(4), 28; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods6040028 - 04 Apr 2017
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 6509
Abstract
The antioxidant properties and polyphenol content of some selected aromatic plants grown in Greece were studied. Plants were refluxed with 60% methanol after acid hydrolysis. The phenolic substances were quantified by High Performance Liquid Chromatography–Diode Array Detector (HPLC-DAD). The antioxidant capacity of the [...] Read more.
The antioxidant properties and polyphenol content of some selected aromatic plants grown in Greece were studied. Plants were refluxed with 60% methanol after acid hydrolysis. The phenolic substances were quantified by High Performance Liquid Chromatography–Diode Array Detector (HPLC-DAD). The antioxidant capacity of the extracts was determined with the Rancimat test using sunflower oil as substrate. Free radical scavenging activity was measured using the stable free radical 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). Results were compared with standard butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and ascorbic acid. Total phenol concentration of the extracts was estimated with Folin-Ciocalteu reagent using gallic acid as standard. All plant extracts examined showed antioxidant capacity and contained phenolic compounds. Caffeic acid was detected in all the examined plant extracts. Ferulic acid was also detected in all the methanolic extracts, except from P. lanata, in rather high concentration. The amount of total phenolics varied slightly in plant materials and ranged from 8.2 mg to 31.6 mg of gallic acid/g dry sample. The highest amount was found in O. dictamnus, and the lowest in N. melissifolia. Full article
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4323 KiB  
Article
Occurrence and Antioxidant Activity of C1 Degradation Products in Cocoa
by Cédric De Taeye, Marie-Lucie Kankolongo Cibaka and Sonia Collin
Foods 2017, 6(3), 18; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods6030018 - 28 Feb 2017
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 5986
Abstract
Procyanidin C1 is by far the main flavan-3-ol trimer in cocoa. Like other flavan-3-ols, however, it suffers a lot during heat treatments such as roasting. RP-HPLCHRMS/MS(ESI(−))analysis applied to an aqueous model medium containing commercial procyanidin C1 proved that epimerization is the main reaction [...] Read more.
Procyanidin C1 is by far the main flavan-3-ol trimer in cocoa. Like other flavan-3-ols, however, it suffers a lot during heat treatments such as roasting. RP-HPLCHRMS/MS(ESI(−))analysis applied to an aqueous model medium containing commercial procyanidin C1 proved that epimerization is the main reaction involved in its degradation (accounting for 62% of degradation products). In addition to depolymerization, cocoa procyanidin C1 also proved sensitive to oxidation, yielding once- and twice-oxidized dimers. No chemical oligomer involving the native trimer was found in either model medium or cocoa, while two C1 isomers were retrieved. C1 degradation products exhibited antioxidant activity (monitored by RPHPLC-Online TEAC) close to that of C1 (when expressed in µM TE/mg·kg−1). Full article
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198 KiB  
Communication
Study Approach of Antioxidant Properties in Foods: Update and Considerations
by Alessandra Durazzo
Foods 2017, 6(3), 17; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods6030017 - 28 Feb 2017
Cited by 59 | Viewed by 6533
Abstract
The assessment of interactions between natural antioxidants and other food matrix components represents the main step in the investigation of total antioxidant properties, in terms of potential health benefits. The diversity of chemical structures of natural compounds, besides their possible interactions, as well [...] Read more.
The assessment of interactions between natural antioxidants and other food matrix components represents the main step in the investigation of total antioxidant properties, in terms of potential health benefits. The diversity of chemical structures of natural compounds, besides their possible interactions, as well as the biological role and different modes of action makes it difficult to assess a single and reliable procedure for the evaluation of antioxidant activity. Today, much attention is given to the distinction between extractable and non-extractable antioxidants as a key tool in the description of the nutritional and healthy properties of food matrices. The starting point for the investigation of antioxidant effects of food extracts is the analysis of antioxidant properties of pure compounds and their interactions. Another complementary approach could be represented by the study of how different biologically active compound-rich extracts contribute to the total antioxidant capacity. Full article
1552 KiB  
Article
Phenolic Profile and Antioxidant Activity of Melon (Cucumis Melo L.) Seeds from Pakistan
by Alam Zeb
Foods 2016, 5(4), 67; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods5040067 - 17 Oct 2016
Cited by 34 | Viewed by 8016
Abstract
Phenolic composition of different extracts of honeydew melon seeds and their antioxidant activity was determined for the first time. Phenolic compounds were identified using a reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD) method. Results showed the identification of five [...] Read more.
Phenolic composition of different extracts of honeydew melon seeds and their antioxidant activity was determined for the first time. Phenolic compounds were identified using a reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD) method. Results showed the identification of five phenolic compounds in water extract namely gallic acid and its derivative, hydroxybenzoic acid and catechin derivatives and caffeic acid.There were nine phenolic compounds identified in methanol–water extract, which are caffeic acid, two vanillic acid derivatives, ellagitanins, quercetin-3-rutinoside, derivatives of syringic acid and ellagic acid. The amounts of gallic acid, caffeic acid and catechin were higher among all phenolic compounds. Total phenolic compounds and radical scavenging activity were higher in water and methanol–water extract than their corresponding methanol extracts. In conclusion, melon seeds are a good source of natural antioxidants with significant biological functions and may serve as food ingredients and as fortifying material for maintaining shelf life. Full article
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