In The Name of ALLAH, The Most Merciful, The

Mast Gracious
Seminar in Environmental Biochemistry
Environmental Studies MSc.- Aut. 2013
Natural Antioxidants: Sources and Applications
Supervised By:
Dr. Sabah Gaber
Presented By:
Dalia Elsayed

Introduction

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Since 1994, consumers have expressed concern about the
safety of preservatives and additives in their food. More than 12 y
ago, Sloan (1999) reported that one of the top 10 trends for the
food industry to watch included the sales of natural, organic, and
vegetarian foods. There is a clear trend in consumer preference
for clean labeling, for food ingredients and additives that are
organic/natural with names that are familiar, and that are
perceived to be healthy. In addition, the call for sustainable
sources and environmentally friendly production is forcing the
food industry to move in that direction.

Oxidation and Antioxidants

Oxidation is a chemical reaction that can produce free radicals,
which start chain reactions that damage cells. Antioxidants
terminate these chain reactions by removing free radical
intermediates, and inhibit other oxidation reactions by being
oxidized themselves.
An antioxidant is a molecule capable of slowing or preventing the
oxidation of other molecules.

Antioxidants
Antioxidants are compounds or systems that delay autoxidation
by inhibiting formation of free radicals or by interrupting
propagation of the free radical by one (or more) of several
mechanisms.

Natural Antioxidants
Food tissues, because they are (or were) living, are under constant
oxidative stress from free radicals, reactive oxygen species, and
prooxidants generated both exogenously (heat and light) and
endogenously (H2O2 and transition metals). For this reason,
many of these tissues have developed antioxidant systems to
control free radicals, lipid oxidation catalysts, oxidation
intermediates, and secondary breakdown products. These
antioxidant compounds include flavonoids, phenolic acids,
carotenoids, and tocopherols that can inhibit Fe3+/AA-induced
oxidation, scavenge free radicals, and act as reductants.
Spices and herbs, used in foods for their flavor and in medicinal
mixtures for their physiological effects, often contain high
concentrations of phenolic compounds that have strong Hdonating activity.

ORAC Values
Many natural antioxidants have high ORAC values- antioxidant
capacity in vitro and so provide an artificial index of antioxidant
strength.
The oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) method is based
on the inhibition of the peroxyl-radical-induced oxidation
initiated by thermal decomposition of azo compounds.

Antioxidative plant phenolics Groups

The major antioxidative plant phenolics can be divided into 4
general groups:
1- Phenolic acids (gallic, protochatechuic, caffeic, and rosmarinic
acids) found in plant extracts.
2- Phenolic diterpenes (carnosol and carnosic acid) found in
plants.
3- Flavonoids (quercetin and catechin) found in plant extracts.
4- Volatile oils (eugenol, carvacrol, thymol, and menthol) found in
plant extracts.
Phenolic acids generally act as antioxidants by trapping free
radicals; flavonoids can scavenge free radicals and chelate metals
as well.

Mechanism of Antioxidants action

(1) scavenging species that initiate peroxidation.
(2) chelating metal ions such that they are unable to
generate reactive species or decompose lipid peroxides.
(3) quenching O2 preventing formation of peroxides.
(4) breaking the autoxidative chain reaction.
(5) reducing localized O2 concentrations.

Natural Antioxidants from Chemical View

The natural antioxidants AA and -tocopherol each have 1
aromatic ring as well. However, many of the natural
antioxidants (flavonoids and anthocyanins) have more than 1
aromatic ring. The effectiveness of these aromatic antioxidants is
generally proportional to the number of OH groups present on
the aromatic ring(s). Depending on the arrangement of the OH
groups, these compounds may also chelate prooxidative metals.
The facts that they are natural, and have antioxidative activity
that is as good or better than the synthetic antioxidants, makes
them particularly attractive for commercial food processors
because of consumer demand for natural ingredients.

Herbs
A number of spices and herbs
contain compounds that can be
Removed and added to food systems
to prevent oxidation.
Antioxidant (and flavor)
components of herbs and
spices may be removed/concentrated
as extracts, essential oils, or resins.

Ginger, and cumin

Ginger is derived from the root of Zinger officinale. Fresh and

dried ginger contain relatively large amounts of the volatile oils
camphene, p-cineole, alpha-terpineol, zingiberene, and
pentadecanoic acid. The maximum total phenolic contents were
extractable with methanol from fresh ginger (95.2 mg/g dry
extract) followed by hexane extraction of fresh ginger (87.5 mg/g
dry extract). Ginger extract has been shown to have antioxidant
activity almost equal to that of synthetic antioxidants.
Cumin is derived from Cuminum cyminum. The major
components in cumin volatile oil are cuminal, -terpinene, and
pinocarveol (El-Ghorab and others 2010). Cumin essential oil is
better at reducing Fe3+ ions than dried or fresh ginger or cumin.

Extraction
Because many antioxidants are unstable to oxygen and
endogenous enzymes, most are extracted from freeze-dried plant
materials.

Three primary extraction techniques

are used for polyphenols:
solvents, solid-phase extraction, and
supercritical extraction.
Using a Soxhlet apparatus combines
percolation and immersion that increases
extraction efficiency.
Several extractions can be accomplished
with solvents having different polarities
(petrol ether, toluene, acetone, ethanol,
methanol, ethyl acetate, and water).

Effect of Processing
Endogenous antioxidant systems (enzymatic) can be damaged
during food processing (particle size reduction and heating), by
certain ingredients (salts and organic acids), and by storage
conditions (presence of oxygen) such that they are ineffective
(Chen and others 1998). NaCl, in particular, reduces the activity
of the antioxidant enzymes catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and
superoxide dismutase that reduces their capacity to perform
antioxidative functions (Lee and others 1997). Ingredients, such
as AA and citric acid, can work synergistically with flavonoid
antioxidants.
Spices and herbs can be added to foods in various forms: whole,
ground, or as isolates from their extracts.

Practical Approaches and reecommendations

It is a call for GREEN LIFE..
Effects of the food matrix and ingredients
Natural plant antioxidants can protect food components from
oxidation under the stress of heating and storage.
Adding antioxidants to livestock diets
Including herb distillates into livestock diets can have positive
effects. Fresh meat from these animals had higher total ferric
reducing antioxidant power and lower DPPH values than controls
indicating that the rosemary distillate partitioned into the meat
tissues and reduced susceptibility to oxidation.
i.e. Improving lipid stability.

References and Links

1. Natural Antioxidants: Sources, Compounds, Mechanisms of Action, and
Potential Applications- M.S. Brewer- Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science
and Food Safety- Volume 10, Issue 4, pages 221247, July 2011
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1541-4337.2011.00156.x/full
2. Natural Antioxidants
http://www.healthylifestylefactors.com/naturalantioxidants.htm
Images links
3. http://www.examiner.com/article/collecting-your-own-herb-seeds
4. http://fluorous.com/flle.php
5. http://evieevan.com/beauty-insights/skin-care/what-is-an-antioxidant/
6. http://wisechoiceliving.com/its-radical-part-1/
7. http://www.antioxidants-make-you-healthy.com/benefits-of-antioxidants.html
8. http://www.al-health.net/%D8%AE%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%B5%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B2%D9%86%D8%AC%D8%A8%D9%8A
%D9%84-%D9%85%D8%B6%D8%A7%D8%AF%D8%A9%D9%84%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA
%D9%87%D8%A7%D8%A8/
9. http://lovelyhealthylife.com/2010/10/09/antioxidant-power/
10. http://www.aromaoilstore.com/cumin-seed-essential-oil.html

May ALLAH Rewards

You
Thank You