Enzymatic production of antioxidants and their applications

© 2019 Elsevier Inc. Chemically synthesised antioxidants including butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) and propyl gallate (PG) are widely used to preserve foods against oxidative deterioration. However, because of the growing health concerns over the use of synthetic antioxidants in food, preference is shifting towards natural alternatives. Many natural antioxidants exhibit better solubility in aqueous media than in lipid-based media and this limits their effectiveness in non-aqueous media. Therefore, to extend the applications of natural antioxidants in a broad range of systems including fats, oils and cosmetic formulations, their structures have to be modified to increase their lipophilicity. Structural modifications can be achieved chemically or enzymatically, however, enzymatic modifications are preferred because of the mild conditions required and because this is considered a natural process in some regulatory jurisdictions. This module describes the enzymatic modification of natural antioxidants to expand their range of applications. Their use in stabilizing fats and oils are also discussed.