From: Doug Skrecky (oberon@vcn.bc.ca)
Date: Fri Jan 18 2002 - 12:59:53 MST
Title
Antioxidant properties of Mediterranean spices compared with common food
additives.
Source
Journal of Food Protection. 64(9):1412-9, 2001 Sep.
Abstract
In this study, the antioxidant properties of Mediterranean food spices
(annatto, cumin, oregano, sweet and hot paprika, rosemary,
and saffron) at 5% concentration and of common food additives (butylated
hydroxyanisole [BHA], butylated hydroxytoluene [BHT], and propyl gallate) at
100 microg/g are compared. The ability of these compounds to inhibit lipid
peroxidation was, in decreasing order, rosemary > oregano > propyl gallate >
annatto > BHA > sweet paprika > cumin > hot paprika >
saffron > BHT. Deoxyribose damage is partially inhibited in the presence of
cumin extract that exhibits the strongest protective action.
The rest of the spices also protect deoxyribose better than the BHA and BHT
used in the assay. Finally, the results obtained in the assay point to the
prooxidant effect of propyl gallate. Hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity is
measured by using peroxidase-based assay systems. In aqueous medium, the
spice extracts show lower antioxidant activity than propyl gallate, the
decreasing order being cumin > oregano > annatto > rosemary
> hot paprika > sweet paprika. BHA and BHT did not scavenge H2O2 Spices are
able to scavenge HOCl and protect alpha1-antiproteinase. The results indicate
that rosemary and oregano are more effective HOCl scavengers than the other
substances analyzed, which, in decreasing order, were propyl gallate,
annatto, sweet and hot paprika, saffron, and cumin. The
effect of Mediterranean food spices on the oxidative stability of refined
olive oil tested by the Rancimat method was compared with common food
additives during storage (72 h, 2, 4, and 6 months) at room temperature. The
results showed that the spice extracts analyzed have significant stabilizing
effects (P < 0.05).
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