Antioxidants lecithin applications

Tocopherols are not as effective as antioxidants as the synthetic antioxidants, e.g. BHA or BHT. The antioxidant effect of tocopherols is increased by mixing them with ascorbyl palmitate, ascorbic acid, lecithin or citric acid. Typical confectionery applications are the use of tocopherols with ascorbyl palmitate or lecithin or citric acid in the fat phase of toffees or caramels. Chewing gum base can be treated with a- and y-tocopherol to extend the shelf life. 

Commercial lecithin products that were sold many decades ago for applications such as chocolate and confectionery products, margarine, bakery goods, pasta products, textiles, insecticides, and paints are still active today because of their emulsifying, wetting, colloidal, antioxidant, and physiological properties. Lecithin s multifunctional properties and its natural status make it an ideal food ingredient. The major applications and functional properties of lecithin products are shown in Table 25 (7). 

Functional Uses of Lecithin in Animal Feeds Lecithins can be employed in animal feeds for their numerous functional properties. These applications result from lecithins emulsifying, wetting, colloidal, antioxidant, and physiological properties. 

Highly oxidizable oils such as fish oils can be protected by a process known as microencapsulation, which coats the oil with a matrix of protein (gelatin, casein), carbohydrates (starch, cellulose, carboxymethylcellulose or cellulose derivatives) and lecithin. Microencapsulation provides protection against oxidation and imparts oxidative stability. The use of carboxymethylcellulose and cyclodextrins as coatings is claimed to provide better protection of oils by improved oxygen barrier properties. For special applications as nutritional supplements, fish oils enriched in n-3 PUFA are microencapsulated, in the presence of antioxidants, into a powder that is relatively stable at ambient temperatures. However, encapsulated fish oils can impart undesirable fishy taste when incorporated into food emulsions. More research and development is needed to evaluate potential applications and benefits of active packaging to increase the shelf life of fish oils and other highly oxidizable oils in foods. 

Lysolecithins, which are more hydrophilic, show stronger oil-in-water emulsifying properties. Stable microemulsions have been prepared with various fractionated lecithins. These mlcroemulsions are used in direct applications as reservoirs for certain active materials (flavors, antioxidants, nutraceuticals, etc.) or as microreactors for enzymatic reactions. Several of these applications were... 

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