Natural and Synthetic Antioxidants

A section of Antioxidants (ISSN 2076-3921).

Section Information

Antioxidants show the ability to inhibit autoxidation by preventing the formation of free radicals or interrupting their propagation according to different mechanisms. They can be classified as primary antioxidants, chelators, O2•− quenchers, oxygen scavengers, and antioxidant regenerators.

There are many advantages of using antioxidants in food products, and their employment is becoming more and more indispensable. However, the total absence of toxic effects is desirable. Therefore, comprehensive studies of their effects and side-effects are requested. Almost all processed foods have synthetic antioxidants incorporated, which are reported to be safe, although some studies indicate otherwise, such as the examples of BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) and BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole), which are the most widely used chemical antioxidants.

Recent trends guided by the food industry and the consumers’ acceptance are focused on the reduction of synthetic additives or their replacement by natural alternatives, which are general preferred due to recognized health benefits and sustainability issues, as they are obtained from renewable sources (natural matrices) avoiding the use of hazardous chemicals and solvents.

In this section, we welcome extensive studies on prospection of raw materials that could be valuable sources of natural antioxidants, optimization of efficient methodologies to extract, purify, and stabilize them, development of innovative formulations, and application case-studies. To be legally accepted, all antioxidants have to fulfill strict requirements and continuous assessment, so updates on synthetic antioxidants are also welcome.

Keywords

  • natural/synthetic antioxidants
  • bio-based food additives
  • extraction/purification technologies
  • stabilization procedures
  • mechanisms of action
  • innovative formulations
  • novel trends
  • in vivo and in vitro methods for antioxidant activity assessment
  • cell-based vs chemical evaluation methods

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