Phenolics and polyphenolics in foods, beverages and spices: Antioxidant activity and health effects – A review

The normal biochemical reactions in our body, increased exposure to the environment, and higher levels of dietary xenobiotic's result in the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS). The ROS and RNS create oxidative stress in different pathophysiological conditions. The reported chemical evidence suggests that dietary antioxidants help in disease prevention. The antioxidant compounds react in one-electron reactions with free radicals in vivo/in vitro and prevent oxidative damage. Therefore, it is very important to understand the reaction mechanism of antioxidants with the free radicals. This review elaborates the mechanism of action of the natural antioxidant compounds and assays for the evaluation of their antioxidant activities. The reaction mechanisms of the antioxidant assays are briefly discussed (165 references). Practical applications: understanding the reaction mechanisms can help in evaluating the antioxidant activity of various antioxidant compounds as well as in the development of novel antioxidants.

https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2015/RA/C4RA13315C

Free radicals, natural antioxidants, and their reaction mechanisms

Chemodynamic therapy (CDT) utilizes iron-initiated Fenton chemistry to destroy tumor cells by converting endogenous H2 O2 into the highly toxic hydroxyl radical (. OH). There is a paucity of Fenton-like metal-based CDT agents. Intracellular glutathione (GSH) with . OH scavenging ability greatly reduces CDT efficacy. A self-reinforcing CDT nanoagent based on MnO2 is reported that has both Fenton-like Mn2+ delivery and GSH depletion properties. In the presence of HCO3- , which is abundant in the physiological medium, Mn2+ exerts Fenton-like activity to generate . OH from H2 O2 . Upon uptake of MnO2 -coated mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MS@MnO2 NPs) by cancer cells, the MnO2 shell undergoes a redox reaction with GSH to form glutathione disulfide and Mn2+ , resulting in GSH depletion-enhanced CDT. This, together with the GSH-activated MRI contrast effect and dissociation of MnO2 , allows MS@MnO2 NPs to achieve MRI-monitored chemo-chemodynamic combination therapy.

Simultaneous Fenton-like Ion Delivery and Glutathione Depletion by MnO2 -Based Nanoagent to Enhance Chemodynamic Therapy.

Measurement of antioxidant activity

Antioxidants had a growing interest owing to their protective roles in food and pharmaceutical products against oxidative deterioration and in the body and against oxidative stress-mediated pathological processes. Screening of antioxidant properties of plants and plant-derived compounds requires appropriate methods, which address the mechanism of antioxidant activity and focus on the kinetics of the reactions including the antioxidants. Many studies evaluating the antioxidant activity of various samples of research interest using different methods in food and human health have been conducted. These methods are classified, described, and discussed in this review. Methods based on inhibited autoxidation are the most suited for termination-enhancing antioxidants and for chain-breaking antioxidants, while different specific studies are needed for preventive antioxidants. For this purpose, the most common methods used in vitro determination of antioxidant capacity of food constituents were examined. Also, a selection of chemical testing methods was critically reviewed and highlighted. In addition, their advantages, disadvantages, limitations and usefulness were discussed and investigated for pure molecules and raw extracts. The effect and influence of the reaction medium on the performance of antioxidants are also addressed. Hence, this overview provides a basis and rationale for developing standardized antioxidant methods for the food, nutraceuticals, and dietary supplement industries. In addition, the most important advantages and shortcomings of each method were detected and highlighted. The chemical principles of these methods are outlined and critically discussed. The chemical principles of methods of 2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonate) radical (ABTS·+) scavenging, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH·) radical scavenging, Fe3+-Fe2+ transformation assay, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay, cupric ions (Cu2+) reducing power assay (Cuprac), Folin-Ciocalteu reducing capacity (FCR assay), peroxyl radical (ROO·), superoxide radical anion (O2·-), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) scavenging assay, hydroxyl radical (OH·) scavenging assay, singlet oxygen (1O2) quenching assay, nitric oxide radical (NO·) scavenging assay and chemiluminescence assay are outlined and critically discussed. Also, the general antioxidant aspects of main food components were discussed by a number of methods, which are currently used for the detection of antioxidant properties of food components. This review consists of two main sections. The first section is devoted to the main components in the food and pharmaceutical applications. The second general section comprises some definitions of the main antioxidant methods commonly used for the determination of the antioxidant activity of components. In addition, some chemical, mechanistic and kinetic basis, and technical details of the used methods are given.

https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00204-020-02689-3.pdf

Antioxidants and antioxidant methods: an updated overview

Lipids are a major component of food and important structural and functional constituents of cells in biological systems. However, this diverse group of substances is prone to oxidation through various pathways. Their oxidative stability depends on a number of intrinsic and extrinsic factors, including the unsaturation of their fatty acids, composition of minor components, environment conditions, delivery techniques and use of antioxidants, among others. Lipid oxidation has detrimental effects on both food quality and human health, and efforts must be made to minimize oxidation and improve oxidative stability of lipid products. Antioxidant strategy has been successfully employed in the food industry for quality preservation of the food products and in the medicinal industry for risk reduction of numerous oxidative stress-mediated diseases. This tutorial review will provide important knowledge about lipid oxidation, including the mechanism and factors involved in oxidation, as well as strategies for improving oxidative stability of lipids.

Lipid oxidation and improving the oxidative stability.

Autoxidation in food and biological systems is responsible for a multitude of adverse effects and implications in human health as well as in food stability and preservation. Antioxidants play a major role in preventing or delaying autoxidation and have attracted much attention as food stabilizers, dietary supplements and natural health products. Both synthetic and natural antioxidants are widely used in food products and an ever increasing number of research papers have appeared in the recent literature on the discovery and application of natural antioxidants and their therapeutic use in inhibiting a myriad of diseases. However, some common synthetic antioxidants have also become controversial due to their potential adverse effects on health. This overview provides the latest developments about novel antioxidants, particularly phenolic derivatives, peptides/protein hydrolysates, phospholipids and polysaccharides, and their role in food quality preservation and human health promotion.

Novel antioxidants in food quality preservation and health promotion.

Antioxidant activity and water-holding capacity of canola protein hydrolysates

The polar paradox is a theory that illustrates the paradoxical behavior of antioxidants in different media and rationalizes the fact that polar antioxidants are more effective in less polar media, such as bulk oils, while nonpolar antioxidants are more effective in relatively more polar media, such as oil-in-water emulsions or liposomes. For 2 decades since it was proposed, the theory has been used to interpret results in antioxidant efficiency studies. However, more recently, new evidence from more comprehensive assessments has emerged that contradicts the polar paradox theory, hence necessitating its re-evaluation. More complex factors in addition to polarity must be taken into account to explain antioxidant efficacy.

Ying Zhong

Papers

Measurement of antioxidant activity

Lipid oxidation and improving the oxidative stability.

Novel antioxidants in food quality preservation and health promotion.

Antioxidant activity and water-holding capacity of canola protein hydrolysates

Revisiting the Polar Paradox Theory: A Critical Overview