Investigating the efficacy of pomegranate extract as an antioxidant in multiple high-lipid model systems
Antioxidants are of paramount importance to the food industry. They confer benefits in the form of economic savings as well as drastic quality improvements to high-lipid products. Previous research has evaluated synthetic and natural compounds in a plethora of matrices to compare antioxidant efficacies. Because of the intricate nature of antioxidants, their solubility and differences in application, expansive research must be done to qualify antioxidants of similar chemical characteristics. Research was conducted in Urbana, IL to examine the efficacy of an industrially-derived, natural antioxidant (pomegranate extract) using four direct analysis technqiues and three high-lipid model systems in contrast to well-known and highly utilized antioxidants. Direct analysis techniques evaluated several antioxidants on two highly informative parameters of antioxidant activity: reducing capacity and hydrogen atom donating capacity. The high lipid models evaluated antioxidant activity in visceral systems by looking at each compounds ability to prolong the induction period of oxidation from different prooxidants (heat-, hemoglobin-, and irradiation-induced oxidation). These results improve the understanding of antioxidant capacity in applicable systems, as well as suggest potential mechanisms by which pomegranate extract might work.
Pomegranate extract (POMx), Pomegranate, Oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), Antioxidant
University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign