Tocopherols as antioxidants in lipid-based systems: The combination of chemical and physicochemical interactions determines their efficiency

Lipid oxidation is a major concern in the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical sectors. The degradation of unsaturated lipids affects the nutritional, physicochemical, and organoleptic properties of products and can lead to off-flavors and to the formation of potentially harmful oxidation compounds. To prevent or slow down lipid oxidation, different antioxidant additives are used alone or in combination to achieve the best possible efficiency with the minimum possible quantities. In manufactured products, that is, heterogeneous systems containing lipids as emulsions or bulk phase, the efficiency of an antioxidant is determined not only by its chemical reactivity, but also by its physical properties and its interaction with other compounds present in the products. The antioxidants most widely used on the industrial scale are probably tocopherols, either as natural extracts or pure synthetic molecules. Considerable research has been conducted on their antioxidant activity, but results regarding their efficiency are contradictory. Here, we review the known mechanisms behind the antioxidant activity of tocopherols and discuss the chemical and physical features that determine their efficacy. We first describe their chemical reactivity linked with the main factors that modulate it between efficient antioxidant capacity and potential prooxidant effects. We then describe their chemical interactions with other molecules (phenolic compounds, metals, vitamin C, carotenes, proteins, and phospholipids) that have potential additive, synergistic, or antagonist effects. Finally, we discuss other physical parameters that influence their activity in complex systems including their specific interactions with surfactants in emulsions and their behavior in the presence of association colloids in bulk oils.

Investigation on the Double CutOff Phenomenon Observed in Protocatechuic Acid and Its Alkyl Esters under Various CAT-Based Assays

A strange cutoff phenomenon of a series of protocatechuic acid alkyl esters had been noticed using the conjugated autoxidizable triene (CAT) assay. Two parabolic shapes of antioxidant activities of protocatechuic acid alkyl esters described as ″the double cutoff effect″ have been speculated as a result of an oxidative driving force generated in the aqueous phase. The aim of this research was to investigate the double cutoff effect using various types of oxidation driving forces in different CAT-based assays. To further explain the phenomenon, the natural oxidation of conjugated autoxidizable triene (NatCAT) assay has been developed for the first time by relying solely on only the lipid autoxidation of tung oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions. In conclusion, NatCAT exhibited different antioxidant and oxidation patterns from both CAT and apolar radical-initiated CAT assays, and only one cutoff point was obtained. This discovery would lead to a greater understanding of the complexity of antioxidant/lipid oxidation dynamics in O/W emulsion systems.

Identification and quantification of phytoprostanes and phytofurans of coffee and cocoa by- and co-products

Phytoprostanes (PhytoPs) and phytofurans (PhytoFs) are isoprostanoids that result from the peroxidation of α-linolenic acid and are biomarkers of oxidative stress in plants and humans.

Toxicity of Natural Deep Eutectic Solvent Betaine:Glycerol in Rats

Natural deep eutectic solvents (NaDES) are new natural solvents in green chemistry that in some cases have been shown to allow better extraction of plant bioactive molecules compared to conventional solvents and higher phenolic compound absorption in rodents. However, there is a serious lack of information regarding their in vivo safety. The purpose of this study was to verify the safety of a NaDES (betaine:glycerol (1:2 mole ratio) of water) extract from green coffee beans, rich in polyphenols. Twelve 6-week-old male Wistar rats were randomized into two groups of 6 animals each and twice daily gavaged for 14 days either with 3 mL of water or 3 mL of phenolic NaDES extract. Oral administration of phenolic NaDES extract induced mortality in two rats. In addition, it induced excessive water consumption, reduced dietary intake and weight loss, hepatomegaly, and plasma oxidative stress associated with high blood lipid levels. In conclusion, this work demonstrated the toxicity of oral administration of the selected NaDES under a short-term condition. This occurs despite the fact that this NaDES extract contains polyphenols, whose beneficial effects have been shown. Therefore, complementary work is needed to find the best dose and formulation of NaDES that are safe for the environment and animals and ultimately for humans.

Comparison of Antioxidant Evaluation Assays for Investigating Antioxidative Activity of Gallic Acid and Its Alkyl Esters in Different Food Matrices

The addition of antioxidants is one of the strategies to inhibit lipid oxidation, a major cause of lipid deterioration in foods leading to rancidity development and nutritional losses. However, several studies have been reported that conventional antioxidant assays, e.g., TPC, ABTS, FRAP, and ORAC could not predict antioxidant performance in several foods. This study aimed to investigate the performance of two recently developed assays, e.g., the conjugated autoxidizable triene (CAT) and the apolar radical-initiated conjugated autoxidizable triene (ApoCAT) assays to predict the antioxidant effectiveness of gallic acid and its esters in selected food models in comparison with the conventional antioxidant assays. The results indicated that the polarities of the antioxidants have a strong impact on antioxidant activities. In addition, different oxidant locations demonstrated by the CAT and ApoCAT assays influenced the overall antioxidant performances of the antioxidants with different polarities. To validate the predictability of the assays, the antioxidative performance of gallic acid and its alkyl esters was investigated in oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions, bulk soybean oils, and roasted peanuts as the lipid food models. The results showed that only the ApoCAT assay could be able to predict the antioxidative performances in O/W emulsions regardless of the antioxidant polarities. This study demonstrated that the relevance of antioxidant assays to food models was strongly dependent on physical similarities between the tested assays and the food structure matrices.

Application of Deep Eutectic Solvents (DES) for Phenolic Compounds Extraction: Overview, Challenges, and Opportunities

The green chemistry era has pushed the scientific community to investigate and implement new solvents in phenolic compounds (PC) extraction as alternatives to organic solvents, which are toxic and may be dangerous. Recently, deep eutectic solvents (DES) have been applied as extraction solvents for PC. They have the advantages of biodegradability and ease of handling with very low toxicity. Nevertheless, the extraction process is affected by several factors: affinity between DES and the target compounds, the water content, the mole ratio between DES' starting molecules, the liquid/solid ratio between the DES and sample, and the conditions and extraction method. On the other hand, PC recovery from DES is a challenge because they can establish a strong hydrogen bond network. Alternatively, another possibility is to use DES as solvent extraction as well as formulation medium. In this way, DES can be suitable for cosmetics, pharmaceutical, or food applications.

Antioxidant activity of protocatechuates evaluated by DPPH, ORAC, and CAT methods

Hibiscus sabdariffa L. is a worldwide consumed plant, principally after infusion of its dried sepals and calyces, which are usually discarded. Nevertheless, they represent a potential source of natural bioactive compounds, e.g. polyphenols, which could add value to this under-exploited plant. Protocatechuic acid (PA) was chosen as a model of the phenolic acids that can be extracted from H. sabdariffa. In order to modify PA hydrophilic character, which limits its use in lipid-rich food products, PA was esterified to C1-C18 alcohols, and the impact of lipophilization on its antioxidant activity was evaluated in both, an homogeneous (DPPH and ORAC methods) and an heterogeneous (CAT method) system. Results herein obtained showed that, depending on the grafted alkyl chain length, lipophilization could positively affect the antioxidant activity of PA in heterogeneous media; therefore, support its use as an innovative way to synthesize molecules with an improved antioxidant capacity and potential to be used as multifunctional preservatives in food.

Enzymatic solubilization of arabinoxylans from isolated rye pentosans and rye flour by different endo-xylanases and other hydrolyzing enzymes. Effect of a fungal caccase on the flour extracts oxidative gelation

Water-extractable (WEP) and water-unextractable (WUP) pentosans were isolated from a rye flour. The effect of a commercial enzyme preparation, Grindamyl S 100 (GS100), containing pentosanase activities, was investigated on WEP, WUP, a mix of WEP and WUP, and the rye flour, with the aim to monitor the solubilization and depolymerization of high molecular weight arabinoxylans and the effect on the viscosity of the reaction medium. The effects of other hydrolyzing enzymes were also tested. Three xylanases were used: xylanase 1 (Xyl-1) from Aspergillus niger, the main activity present in GS100; xylanase 2 (Xyl-2) from Talaromyces emersonii; and xylanase 3 (Xyl-3) from Bacillus subtilis. Xyl-3 was used in combination with Xyl-1, (1,4)-beta-D-arabinoxylan arabinofuranohydrolase, endo-beta-D-glucanase, or ferulate esterase from A. niger, but no synergism was observed. GS100 and xylanases increased the arabinoxylan solubilization, Xyl-3 and Xyl-1 being those that presented the best yields of extraction without extensive depolymerization of water-extractable arabinoxylans. Both xylanases were affected by an inhibitor in rye flour. Flour treated with hot ethanol was used to study the oxidative gelation of flour extracts treated with xylanases, in the presence of laccase from Pycnoporus cinnabarinus. Two doses of xylanases were tested (0.5 and 2.5 units). Only the flour extracts treated with 0.5 unit of Xyl-1 thickened.

Effect of cysteinyl caffeic acid, caffeic acid, and L-dopa on the oxidative cross-linking of feruloylated arabinoxylans by a fungal laccase

To study a way to covalently link arabinoxylans and proteins using a fungal laccase from the fungus Pycnoporus cinnabarinus, the effect of cysteinyl caffeic acid on the cross-linking of wheat arabinoxylans was investigated by means of capillary viscometry and RP-HPLC of alkali labile phenolic compounds. Cysteinyl caffeic acid provoked a delay in gelation and in the consumption of the esterified ferulic acid on arabinoxylans. When reacting free ferulic acid and cysteinyl caffeic acid with laccase, the ferulic acid consumption and the dehydrodimers production were also diminished. These results suggest that cysteinyl caffeic acid is oxidized while reducing the semiquinones of ferulic acid produced by laccase. Thus, ferulic acid could not be oxidized into dimers until all cysteinyl caffeic acid was consumed, preventing the cross-linking of feruloylated arabinoxylan chains. A similar mechanism is proposed in the case of caffeic acid and of L-Dopa.