Effects of lipophilic and hydrophilic antioxidants in oil-in-water emulsions under chlorophyll photosensitization

Antioxidative or prooxidative properties of α-tocopherol, Trolox, ascorbic acid, and ascorbyl-palmitate at the concentration of 0.1 and 1.0 mM were determined in oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions under chlorophyll photosensitization. Headspace oxygen depletion, lipid hydroperoxides, and headspace volatile analyses were conducted to determine the oxidative stability of O/W emulsions. For 32 h visible light irradiation, depleted headspace oxygen content in O/W emulsions were in the order of samples containing Trolox, ascorbic acid, ascorbyl palmitate, α-tocopherol, without antioxidants under light, and samples in the dark, which implies that all the added compounds acted prooxidant. These prooxidative properties of added compounds can be observed in the results of lipid hydroperoxides and headspace volatiles. Samples containing ascorbic acid and ascorbyl palmitate retained higher chlorophyll content than those containing Trolox up to 16 h. Increases of concentration of Trolox, ascorbic acid, and ascorbyl palmitate from 0.1 to 1.0 mM increased the lipid oxidation products whereas α-tocopherol decreased the degree of lipid oxidation implying α-tocopherol may not share the same prooxidant mechanisms compared to other compounds in chlorophyll sensitized O/W emulsions.