A volume in Woodhead Publishing Series in Food Science, Technology and Nutrition
2015, Pages 251–283
11 – Herbs and spices as antioxidants for food preservation
Abstract
Among
the richest sources of antioxidants are the spices and herbs. Spices
and herbs have been used for flavor, color, aroma, and preservation of
foods and beverages for several hundred years. The antioxidants in
spices and herbs are very effective because they possess excellent
antioxidant activity (e.g., they contain flavonoids, terpenoids,
lignans, sulfides, polyphenolics, carotenoids, coumarins, saponins,
plant sterols, curcumins, and phthalides). These substances have been
used as antioxidants in the form of ground spices/herbs, extracts,
emulsions, or encapsulated form. Aside from their efficacy, spices and
herbs are classified as “all natural” or from “natural sources,” an
attractive characteristic for consumers.
Oxidative
rancidity is a major cause of food quality deterioration, leading to
the formation of undesirable off-flavors and off-odors as well as
unhealthy compounds (Decker, Elias, & McClements, 2010). Synthetic
antioxidants such as butylated hydroxytoluene and butylated
hydroxyanisole have been used widely for many years to retard lipid
oxidation, but there has been increasing concern about the safety of
synthetic antioxidants (Shahidi & Zhong, 2010). This chapter
discusses the different classifications of spices and herbs, lipid
oxidation in foods, the antioxidants that can be derived from spices and
herbs, and the different forms of spice/herb antioxidants. It also
discusses the efficacy of antioxidants in foods. Finally, the future of
spices and herbs as effective antioxidants and future trends are
summarized.
Keywords
- Antioxidant activity;
- Herbs;
- Lipid oxidation;
- Natural antioxidants;
- Spice and herb extracts;
- Spices
Acknowledgement
The author thanks Mike Madsen for testing the extracts using Oxipres® and Saulo Embuscado for preparing selected figures.
Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
