Antioxidant activity of a proanthocyanidin-rich extract from grape seed in whey protein isolate stabilized algae oil-in-water emulsions

Algae oil-in-water emulsions stabilized with 0.2% whey protein isolate (WPI) at pH 3.0 and 7.0 were chosen to evaluate antioxidant activity of a proanthocyanidin-rich extract from grape seed. In this emulsion system, (+)-catechin and ascorbic acid (620 microM) were found to be prooxidative at pH 3.0 and ineffective at pH 7.0. Grape seed extract was not able to effectively inhibit both lipid hydroperoxides and propanal formation when added to the emulsion at 124 microM. However, increasing the concentration of the grape seed extract to 620 microM resulted in inhibition of both lipid hydroperoxide and propanal formation at pH 3.0 and 7.0. None of the antioxidants tested had any effect on the physical stability of the WPI-stabilized emulsion. The superior antioxidant activity of the grape seed extract is likely due to the presence of oligomeric procyanidins which are better antioxidants compared to their monomeric counterparts.