Description
Antioxidants are substances that delay or inhibit the oxidation of foods, and are therefore of great interest to food scientists. Antioxidants are naturally present in foods, but at very low levels. Therefore, additional quantities are added to control oxidation, increase shelf life, and improve overall quality. Due to the wide availability of natural antioxidants and the increasing concerns on the safety of synthetic antioxidants, the beneficial effects of natural antioxidants on the maintenance of human health have become an important topic among scientific researches worldwide. Research showed that multiple natural products including polyphenols, flavonoids, vitamins, carotenoids, polysaccharides, alkaloids and saponins could scavenge excessive free radicals in cells effectively. Searching for new antioxidants from natural products has become an inevitable trend for the modern food and medicine industries.
Natural Antioxidants provides an overview of natural antioxidants, their sources, methods of extraction, regulatory aspects, and application techniques, specifically focusing on different foods of animal origin to improve their oxidative stability. The major species of natural antioxidants in foods that are benefit for the prevention and treatments of diseases have been summarized. Meanwhile, the research progress and future development have also been proposed. All of these studies, on the one hand, can provide a theoretical basis for the development of drugs and healthy foods; on the other hand, can offer novel development ideas for food industry, especially for food additive industry.
The aim of this book is to conclude the progress of natural antioxidants research and provide a theoretical basis for the development of healthy food and drugs. The book serves as a comprehensive overview of the current scientific knowledge on the health effects of dietary and supplemental antioxidants. Chapters integrate information from basic research and animal studies, epidemiologic studies, and clinical intervention trials.
