Antioxidant Capacity Of Spices And Its Influence On The Formation Of Heterocyclic Amines

During the high temperature processing of foods, such as grilled meat and fish, they may produce carcinogens and mutagens, such as heterocyclic amines (HAs) and acrylamide. Since the problem has been discovered, it became a hot research point. Recently, some plant extracts have been reported to effectively reduce the formation of HAs, however, the mechanism of the inhibition effect is not clear. We studied on the antioxidant capacity and major phenolic compounds of the spices commonly used in meat processing. We emphatically discusses the influencing factors on the formation of Has in fried beef patties, and the possible mechanism of the inhition effects. This paper is expected to provide scientific basis for healthy eating habits and safe processing of meat products.We used ABTS, DPPH, and FRAP assays to comprehensively investigate the antioxidant capacity of spices, and the total phenolic contents (TPC) were determined by Folin-Ciocalteu method. Galangal exhibited the highest antioxidant capacity, associated with the highest TPC. Spices in the family Rutaceae and Lauraceae possessed very strong antioxidant capacity, and were rich in phenolics. However, spices in the family of Piperaceae possessed the lowest antioxidant capacity and lowest TPC. Furthermore, the antioxidant capacity of spices correlated very well with the TPC. This result indicates that phenolic compounds are the major contributor of spices'antioxidant capacity.Ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) was used to identify and quantify the phenolic compounds in the spice extracts. Generally, chlorogenic acid and rutin were identified as the dominant phenolic compounds in the spice extracts. Galangin was identified as the principal phenolic component of galangal. Large amounts of chlorogenic acid, rutin, and naringin were found in Rutaceae family. Chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid, and rutin were found in Umbelliferae family.The results showed when cooked with iron pan at 220oC, Norharman and AαC formed within short time, and increased significantly with the cooking time; PhIP only formed at long time. Microwave and roast did not induce the formation of HAs. The results of HAs content in five commercial meat products showed Norharman were only detected in charcoal grilled fish and mutton. PhIP, AαC, and Norharman were not detected in electric grilled chicken and duck, and red cooked pork.The influences of spices on the formation of HAs are complex. Galangal could reduce the formation of PhIP in beef patties by 100%, and reduce the formation of AαC and Norharman by 77.27% and 77.08%, respectively. Bay leaf, Sichuan pepper, and green prickleyash had weaker inhibition effects on the formation of HAs. Cinnamon and dried tangerine peel increased the formation of PhIP in beef patties, but they could reduce the formation of AαC and Norharman. Galangin could likely inhibit the formation of HAs. No correlation between the antioxidant capacity of spices and the formation of HAs. These results provide some reference value for healthy eating habits and safety foods production.