Comparison of the antioxidant and pro‐oxidant activities of broccoli amino acids with those of common food additives

The antioxidant and pro‐oxidant activities of broccoli amino acids were compared with those of common food additives. In decreasing order, the data showed that Asp, SMC, GABA, Glu, Gln, Pro, Phe, Leu, Lys, Arg, Asn, Val, Ile, His, Ser, Gly, Orn and Ala, when dissolved in water at concentrations of 0.5 and 0.05 mM , partially inhibited damage to deoxyribose in the presence of ferric‐EDTA and H₂O₂. In contrast, Tyr and Thr acted as pro‐oxidants in this system. The amino acids present in broccoli had no hydrogen peroxide‐scavenging effect. When dissolved in water, methanol or ethanol, SMC, Glu, Thr, Gln, Ser, GABA, Pro, Ala, Ile, Phe, Asp, Orn and Tyr inhibited lipid peroxidation. However, Asn, Val, Arg, Leu, Lys, His and Gly were not effective in decreasing peroxidation at concentrations of 0.5 and 0.05 mM . Asp > SMC > Ala > Phe > Hys > Orn > Gln = Ser > Lys > Leu = GABA = Gly > Tyr > Arg = Thr > Val > Asn > Pro > Ile > Glu (p < 0.025) showed scavenging activity towards hypochlorous acid, protecting α₁‐antiproteinase against inactivation. In this paper it has been established that some amino acids premixed with propyl gallate increase its hypochlorous acid‐scavenging capacity, while other amino acids have an additive effect with propyl gallate, permitting smaller quantities of propyl gallate to be used as food additives in some products which contain these amino acids. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry