Natural Antioxidants

This book provides state-of-the-art discussion of natural antioxidants from dietary sources, their occurrence, health effects, chemistry, and methodologies. The book summarizes data on the occurrence of antioxidative compounds in cereals and legumes, oilseeds, herbs and spices, vegetables, teas, muscle foods, and other commodities. The antioxidant vitamins and enzymes also are thoroughly discussed. The potential beneficial effects of dietary antioxidants, the chemistry of food antioxidants, and methodologies to assess lipid oxidation and antioxidant activity also have been covered.

Natural antioxidants and anticarcinogens in nutrition, health and disease represents the most recent information and state-of-the-art knowledge on the role of antioxidative vitamins, carotenoids and flavonoids in ageing, atherosclerosis, and diabetes, as well as the role of natural anticarcinogenic compounds, particularly lignans and isoflavonoids, and cancer prevention. It is highly interdisciplinary, and will be of importance to all scientists working in the medical, biomedical, nutritional and food sciences as well as the academics.

Free radicals are atoms or molecules containing unpaired electrons. Damage occurs when the free radical encounters another molecule and seeks to find another electron to pair its unpaired electron. Free radicals can cause mutation in different biological compounds such as protein, nucleic acids, and lipids, and the damage caused by the free radicals lead to various diseases (cancer, cardiovascular disease, aging, etc.). Antioxidants are helpful in reducing and preventing damage from free radical reactions because of their ability to donate electrons, which neutralize the radical without forming another. Ascorbic acid, for example, can lose an electron to a free radical and remain stable itself by passing its unstable electron around the antioxidant molecule. Unfortunately, new data indicate that the synthetic antioxidants used in the industry could have carcinogenic effects on human cells, thus fueling an intense search for new, natural, and efficient antioxidants. Therefore, the current book discusses the role and source of antioxidant compounds in nutrition and diets. Also, the current book includes nine chapters contributed by experts around the world, and the chapters are categorized into two sections: "Antioxidant Compounds and Biological Activities" and "Natural Antioxidants and Applications."

In the recent years, considerable research has been carried out evaluating natural substances as antioxidative additives in food products, leading to novel combinations of antioxidants and the development of novel food products. In addition to their antioxidative capacity, these natural additives have positive effects on the human body with documented health benefits. This valuable new book provides an overview of natural antioxidants, their sources, methods of extraction, regulatory aspects, and application techniques, specifically focusing on different foods of animal origin to improve their oxidative stability.

Antioxidants are present naturally in virtually all food commodities, providing them with a valuable degree of protection against oxidative attack. When food commodities are subjected to processing, such natural antioxidants are often depleted, whether physically, from the nature of the process itself, or by chemical degradation. In conse quence, processed food products usually keep less well than do the commodities from which they originated. Ideally, food producers would like them to keep better. This objective can often be achieved by blending natural products rich in antioxidants with processed foods, or by using well recognised antioxidants as food additives. In order to understand their action, and hence to apply antioxidants intelligently in food product formulation, some knowledge of the mechanisms by which they function is necessary. This is complex and of antioxidative may rely on one or more of several alternative forms intervention. Accordingly, the various mechanisms that may be relevant are discussed in Chapter 1, in each case including the 'intervention' mechanism. When present in, or added to, foods antioxidants are functional in very small quantities, typically, perhaps, at levels of 0·01 % or less.

Antioxidants are an increasingly important ingredient in food processing. Their traditional role is, as their name suggests, in inhibiting the development of oxidative rancidity in fat-based foods, particularly meat and dairy products and fried foods. However, more recent research has suggested a new role in inhibiting cardiovascular disease and cancer. Antioxidants in Food: Practical Applications provides a review of the functional role of antioxidants and discusses how they can be effectively exploited by the food industry. The first part of the book looks at antioxidants and food stability with chapters on the development of oxidative rancidity in foods, methods for inhibiting oxidation, and ways of measuring antioxidant activity. Part 2 looks at antioxidants and health, including chapters on antioxidants and cardiovascular disease, their antitumour properties, and bioavailability. A major trend in the food industry, driven by consumer concerns, has been the shift from the use of synthetic to natural ingredients in food products. Part 3 looks at the range of natural antioxidants available to the food manufacturer. The final section of the book looks at how these natural antioxidants can be effectively exploited, covering such issues as regulation, preparation, antixoxidant processing functionality and their use in a range of food products from meat and dairy products, frying oils and fried products, to fruit and vegetables and cereal products.

This book serves as a comprehensive overview of the current scientific knowledge on the health effects of dietary and supplemental antioxidants (such as vitamins C and E). Chapters integrate information from basic research and animal studies, epidemiologic studies, and clinical intervention trials. The popular media has taken great interest in antioxidants, with numerous articles emphasizing their role in preventing disease and the possible slowing of the aging process. These antioxidant vitamins may be important in preventing not only acute deficiency symptoms, but also chronic disorders such as heart disease and certain types of cancer. This book, therefore, is not only for scientists and doctors, but also for health writers, journalists, and informed lay people. The text focuses on several human conditions for which there is now good scientific evidence that oxidation is an important etiological component. Specifically, antioxidants may prevent or slow down the progression of: Cancer, Cardiovascular disease, Immune system disorders, Cataracts, Neurological disorders, Degeneration due to the aging process.

In the recent years, considerable research has been carried out evaluating natural substances as antioxidative additives in food products, leading to novel combinations of antioxidants and the development of novel food products. In addition to their antioxidative capacity, these natural additives have positive effects on the human body with documented health benefits. This valuable new book provides an overview of natural antioxidants, their sources, methods of extraction, regulatory aspects, and application techniques, specifically focusing on different foods of animal origin to improve their oxidative stability.