Antioxidant and pro-oxidant activity of (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate in food emulsions: Influence of pH and phenolic concentration

Polyphenols have been observed to exert both antioxidant and pro-oxidant activity in lipid foods, and factors that influence that net effect include both polyphenol concentration and matrix pH. In this study, the effects of concentration (1-500 μM) of a model polyphenol, (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), and matrix pH (2-7) on the net anti-/pro-oxidant activity of EGCG in flaxseed oil-in-water (o/w) emulsions were systematically evaluated. After 24h, EGCG (5-100 μM) was observed to exhibit pro-oxidant activity in low pH (pH 2-4) emulsions, as determined by conjugated dienes (CDs) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARSs) production. At the higher pH values studied (pH 5-7), lower CD and TBARS concentrations were detected in samples with 25-500 μM EGCG at 24h. Overall, EGCG concentration and pH both played significant roles in determining net antioxidant or pro-oxidant effects, with the largest antioxidant and pro-oxidant effects observed at the higher EGCG concentrations (100-500 μM) tested.