Page 163 - Natural Antioxidants, Applications in Foods of Animal Origin

142 Natural Antioxidants: Applications in Foods of Animal Origin
VetBooks.ir ABSTRACT

Seafood is known to contain high amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids
(PUFAs); thereby lipid oxidation is the main cause of quality loss in seafood.
Lipid oxidation may cause off-flavor as well as lowering of nutritive value,
which can be retarded by incorporation of additives having antioxidative
properties. The use of synthetic antioxidants has long been practiced in
retarding lipid oxidation. However, due to the potential health concerns of
synthetic antioxidants, natural antioxidants such as polyphenolic compounds,
essential oils, peptides, and microbial antioxidants, have been used as an
alternative natural antioxidants to retard lipid oxidation in different seafood
systems. This chapter reviews in detail the lipid oxidation in fish products,
antioxidants, and their natural sources as well as focuses on the application
of these compounds on the prevention of lipid oxidation in different seafood
systems.

4.1 INTRODUCTION

The demand for fish and fishery products in the global market has been
increasing with increase in the world population. Fish is an important part
of a healthy diet (Mozaffarian & Rimm, 2006). It is an important source
of a number of nutrients, particularly protein, vitamin D, retinol, iodine,
vitamin E, selenium, and the essential long-chain polyunsaturated fatty
acids (PUFAs), that is, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic
acid (DHA) (Welch et al., 2002). It is recommended that fish and seafood
products take a prominent position in the human diet due to their benefi-
cial effect on chronic degenerative diseases. The consumption of fish may
protect against cancers and cardiovascular diseases(Nestel, 2000), hence the

food industry and health authorities have a joint interest in increasing the
consumption of fish.
Oxidation as a chemical reaction that involves the transfer of electrons
from one compound to another has long been reported to have negative
effects especially in physiological context. Oxidation of molecules such
as DNA or lipids has resulted in many problems such as cancer and heart
diseases, both of which are important for proper life function. Oxidation
reactions can occur in food items mainly as a result of prolonged exposure
to the atmosphere. These reactions can cause rancidity, browning, and
development of unpleasant flavor. Oxidation is one of the main factors