Antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of tyrosol and derivative-compounds in the presence of vitamin B2. Assays of synergistic antioxidant effect with commercial food additives.

The main causes of food spoilage come from the process of oxidation and the contamination by microorganisms. For the purpose of increasing food shelf-life the industries employ different techniques, being the addition of preservatives, one of the most used. The aim of this contribution was to investigate the potential antioxidant properties of tyrosol (4-hydroxyphenethyl alcohol, 4-OH) and tyrosol derived isomers (2-hydroxyphenethyl alcohol, 2-OH and 3-hydroxyphenethyl alcohol, 3-OH) against reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the antimicrobial effect on Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli.

Antioxidant ability of tyrosol and derivative-compounds in the presence of O(Δ)-species. Studies of synergistic antioxidant effect with commercial antioxidants.

The exposure of fatty products to environmental light can trigger lipid oxidation in food through a sensitized-photooxidation process, which involves the participation of the species singlet oxygen (O(Δ)). Therefore, preservation of food quality represents a subject of great economic interest to the food industry. In this sense, the phenolic compounds are natural antioxidants widely used in food industry.