Revue: Comment évaluer l'efficacité des antioxydants alimentaires?

Abstract

The efficiency of antioxidants in protecting foods against oxidative degradation depends on many factors, among them the nature and action mode of antioxidants, the structure of food and the storage conditions. This review first reminds the factors inducing oxidation and the main antioxidant mechanisms ; then most of protocols used to measure the antioxidant activity are described. The direct methods use different lipid substrates as fatty acids, triacylglycerols, liposomes, LDL and also lipophilic microconstituents like carotenoids or conjugated fatty acids. Antiradical methods as DPPH°, TEAC or ORAC assays measure the ability of antioxidants to scavenge free radicals, while the FRAP assay measures the ferric reducing power of antioxidant. Among the wild range of methods, none of them gives a true protective effect of antioxidants in real foods. Nevertheless, we can propose some recommendations in screening and evaluating antioxidants, according to the targets of protection. © Lavoisier - La photocopie non autorisée est un délit.