6 Autoxidation & Antioxidants Flashcards
define autoxidation
spontaneous free radical rxn with oxygen. results in rancidity and loss in functionality and nutritional value. extensive autoxidation can lead to toxicity.
what is rancidity?
describes a wide variety of undesired flavors/odors associated with oxidized fats and oils
what are the 3 steps of autoxidation?
1) initiation
2) propagation
3) termination
what happens during the initiation step of the autoxidation mech?
- H is abstracted from FA chain
- O2 must be present
- homolytic cleavage of H from R
what are the methods of H abstraction?
- hv (light/ionizing radiation)
- thermal energy (heat)
- presence of metallic cations (Cu2+, Fe2+)
- enzymatic catalysis (lipoxygenase)
- reactive singlet oxygen (chlorophyll, myoglobin)
what happens during the propagation step of the autoxidation mech?
- R and H radicals mingle to make RH, H2, and R-R molecules
- an R radical can attack O2 to make a PEROXYRADICAL
how does a peroxyradical prefer to terminate?
by abstracting a H from another FA
what happens during the termination step of the autoxidation mech?
- ROO radical reacts with ROO radical or RH radical
- forms ROOR + O2 or ROOH respectively
what’s the general formula for a hydroperoxide?
ROOH
statistically, what is the predominant result of our FAs being in the presence of O2?
accumulation of hydroperoxides over time
what happens when the propagation reaction is more frequent than the termination reaction?
you get a net accumulation of hydroperoxides
what to hydroperoxides do?
they act as precursors of aldehydes, alcohols, ketones, and short chain fatty acids
how are rancid compounds formed?
2 possible reactions:
1) monomolecular; [ROOH] low
2) bimolecular; [ROOH] high
what happens during the monomolecular reaction of ROOH?
- ROOH undergoes homolytic cleavage to RO and OH radicals
- RO* = alkoxy radical
- OH* = hydroxy radical
what happens during the biomlecular reaction of ROOH?
2 ROOH –> RO* + ROO* + H2O
what is PV?
peroxide value
- measures hydroperoxides (primary reaction products)
- measured BY the amount of I2 released by titrating with sodium thiosulfate
- expressed as (mEQ ROO)/(1 kg fat)
what is the slow initial accumulation of hydroperoxides called?
induction period
what is the end of the induction period signaled by?
rapid rise in PV (decomposition of peroxides outpaces their formation)
what is the TBA test?
TBA = thiobarbituric acid
- measures secondary breakdown products (e.g. malonaldehyde)
- assumes monoaldehyde produced is directly proportional to degree of oxidation
- 2 TBA + fat –> red complex, assessed with spectrophotometry
- monaldehyde often comes attached to proteins which must be treated with acid to release it