Antioxidants

ABSTRACT:

Antioxidants are compounds in foods that neutralize chemicals called free radicals produced by oxidation. These chemicals have been linked to certain diseases. Natural antioxidant presents in fruits and vegetables because of their ability to reduce the level of oxidative stress.

Plant samples Capsicum annum (Red bell pepper), Allum sativum (Garlic) and Solanum lycopersicum (Tomato)were macerated in chloroform for 2-3 days at room temperature. The concentrated filtrates were used to investigate the antioxidant activity of the samples through reducing power assay. The results were then compared to vitamin C as the standard control.

INTRODUCTION:

Ultimately, food quality is defined in terms of consumer acceptability. The increasing demand for convenient foods has led to rapid growth in ready-to-eat products. Many of the food ingredients contain unsaturated fatty acids that are quite susceptible to quality deterioration, especially under oxidative stress. So, there has been growing interest in the role of plant-derived antioxidants in food amd human health. Much attention was focused on the natural oxidant potential present in fruits and vegetables because of their ability to reduce the level of oxidative stess.

Antioxidants are compunds in foods that neutralizes chemicals called free radicals (unstable molecules), produced bu oxidation in the human body. These chemicals have been linked to certain diseases. Plant foods such as Capsicum annuum, Allium sativum and Solanum lycopersicum are rich sources of antioxidants. When oxygen is metabolized, it creates unstable molecules called free radical, which steal electrons from other molecules, causing damage to cells. A diet high in antioxidants may reduce the risk of many diseases. Antioxidants scavenge free radicals from the body cells and prevent or reduce the damage caused by oxidation.

Capsicum annuum (Bell Pepper) is a perrenial herbaceous plant in the Solanaceae (nightshade family bwith cultivated...