Summary
Flavonoids are naturally occuring benzo-γ-pyrone derivatives, ubiquitous in vascular plants. These plant polyphenols have been reported to act as antioxidants in various biological systems. They do so by acting as free radical scavengers and/or as metal ion chelators. The other commonly known antioxidants, α-tocopherol, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) each possesses a phenolic structure which is a feature also shared by the flavonoids. We have found that the plant polyphenols were more effective in inhibiting lipid oxidation than the commonly known antioxidants on raw or cooked fish. The order of potency is; tannic acid = ellagic acid > myricetin > quercetin > morin > kaempferol > rutin.
The enhanced lipid oxidation induced by divalent metal salts (CuSO4, FeSO4, ZnSO4, NiSO4 and MgSO4) on the cooked fish was inhibited to a varying degree by the plant polyphenols (100 ppm). The antioxidative potency of these compounds was independent of the type of metal ion-induced lipid oxidation. Arising from our investigations we are able to conclude that polyhydroxylations on rings A and B of the flavonoid structure as well as the presence of a 2, 3-double bond, a free 3-hydroxyl substitution and a 4-keto moiety will confer potent antiperoxidative properties upon the flavonoid molecule.
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© 1992 Birkhäuser Verlag, Basel/Switzerland
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Das, N.P., Ramanathan, L. (1992). Studies on Flavonoids and Related Compounds as Antioxidants in Food. In: Ong, A.S.H., Packer, L. (eds) Lipid-Soluble Antioxidants: Biochemistry and Clinical Applications. Molecular and Cell Biology Updates. Birkhäuser Basel. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-7432-8_24
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-7432-8_24
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