Evaluation of antioxidant activity from different yeast extracts

Antioxidants are substances that delay or prevent the oxidation of cellular oxidizable substrates. They are used in the food industry as additives. Lipid peroxidation is one of the most important cause of food spoilage, it has consecuences like off-flavours and odours (rancidity), lost of colour and nutrients and the development of toxic compunds. Synthetic antioxidants are usually used as food additives by the food industry to prevent or delay lipid peroxidation of fatty foods. However, their application has been limited because of possible toxic and carcinogenic components formed during their degradation. In view of these health concerns, in recent years, there has been an increasing interest in finding safer, more effective, economic and natural antioxidants, that can on the one hand, protect the human body from free radicals and retard the progress of many chronic diseases and, on the other hand, be useful in the food industry as food additives, to protect the food’s quality without health risks. Most...