Antioxidant Activity in Food Systems
Summary
Antioxidant activity in food systems encompasses the capacity of ingredients and formulations to inhibit oxidative processes that compromise nutritional quality, sensory attributes and safety. Natural antioxidants such as vitamins C and E, carotenoids and a vast array of polyphenolic compounds act by quenching free radicals, chelating metal ions and terminating chain‐reaction lipid peroxidation. The effectiveness of these compounds is governed by their chemical structure, concentration and interactions within complex food matrices. Processing steps—such as heating, fermentation and drying—can both enhance and diminish antioxidant levels, depending on parameters like temperature, time and medium. In addition to prolonging shelf life and preventing rancidity, dietary antioxidants contribute to human health by mitigating oxidative stress, which is implicated in chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease and neurodegeneration. Global interest in sustainable and under-utilised sources, including by-products and novel plant extracts, has driven innovation in functional foods, active packaging and edible coatings, with the dual aim of reducing waste and delivering health benefits.
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Antioxidant Activity in Food Systems publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in antioxidant activity in food systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Antioxidant capacity: The ability of a sample to neutralise reactive oxygen species or inhibit oxidative chain reactions under defined assay conditions.
Polyphenols: A broad family of plant-derived secondary metabolites, including flavonoids and phenolic acids, renowned for their redox-active properties.
Bioavailability: The proportion of an ingested compound that is absorbed and becomes available at the site of physiological activity in the body.
Oxidative stress: A condition arising when the generation of pro-oxidant species exceeds the neutralising capacity of endogenous and exogenous antioxidants.
Radical scavenging: A mechanism in which antioxidant molecules donate electrons or hydrogen atoms to free radicals, rendering them less reactive and preventing propagation of oxidative damage.
References
- Development and Application of Polyphenols in Food: A Comprehensive Review. Food Frontiers (2025).
- Development of Dairy Products Fortified with Plant Extracts: Antioxidant and Phenolic Content Characterization. Antioxidants (2023).
- Antioxidants of Natural Plant Origins: From Sources to Food Industry Applications. Molecules (2019).
- Dietary Plant Polyphenols: Effects of Food Processing on Their Content and Bioavailability. Molecules (2021).
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