Lipid Oxidation Pathways in Food Systems: Insights into Antioxidant Strategies and Advanced Detection Methods

About this Research Topic

Background

Lipid oxidation is a significant challenge in food systems, impacting the sensory attributes, nutritional value, and shelf life of lipid-containing food products. This complex process involves the reaction of unsaturated fatty acids with reactive oxygen species, generating primary and secondary oxidation products such as hydroperoxides and aldehydes, which contribute to rancidity and potential health risks. Both natural and synthetic antioxidants are commonly used to minimize lipid oxidation, with growing interest in plant-derived polyphenols due to consumer demand for clean-label products. Understanding the mechanisms of lipid oxidation and the role of antioxidants is critical for developing effective stabilization strategies. Recent advances in analytical techniques, such as spectroscopy, chromatography, and volatile compound profiling, have provided new insights into oxidation processes and the performance of antioxidant systems across various food matrices.

Traditional antioxidants, such as BHT and BHA, are effective at reducing lipid oxidation, but their use is limited by regulatory restrictions and rising consumer demand for safer alternatives due to safety concerns. Natural antioxidants, particularly polyphenol-rich plant extracts, hold promise as safer alternatives, but their effectiveness varies greatly depending on the food matrix, processing conditions, and interactions with other compounds. Moreover, understanding the complicated oxidation mechanisms in various food systems, such as bulk oils, emulsions, and low-moisture foods, is necessary for developing targeted mitigation strategies. This Research Topic aims to address this gap by investigating both the mechanistic aspects of lipid oxidation and the role of natural versus synthetic antioxidants. Recent advances in analytical techniques, including chromatography, spectroscopy, and multivariate data analysis, have enabled more precise detection and monitoring of oxidation products. Integrating these methods can guide the development of efficient, system-specific antioxidant strategies.

This Research Topic invites original research articles and comprehensive reviews that explore lipid oxidation mechanisms and antioxidant strategies across a variety of food systems. Contributions should cover oxidation in diverse matrices such as bulk oils, emulsions, dairy, meat, plant-based, and low-moisture foods. We seek studies that investigate the chemical pathways involved in lipid oxidation, with a focus on initiation, propagation, and formation of secondary oxidation products. Manuscripts should also assess the efficacy of both natural and synthetic antioxidants, particularly plant-derived polyphenols and phenolic-rich extracts, and examine their interactions with pro-oxidant factors such as metals. Additionally, we encourage research that employs cutting-edge analytical techniques, including GC-MS, LC-MS, FTIR, NMR, and ESR spectroscopy, to detect and quantify oxidation markers. By integrating these advanced methods with mechanistic insights, this Research Topic aims to contribute to the development of tailored antioxidant strategies that can enhance food shelf life and product safety.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Clinical Trial
• Conceptual Analysis
• Data Report
• Editorial
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• ... View all formats

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Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Clinical Trial
• Conceptual Analysis
• Data Report
• Editorial
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: oil, fat, fatty acid, free radical, lipid oxidation, lipidomics, oxylipin, oxidative stability, rancidity, lag phase, antioxidant, polyphenol, phenolic compound, plant extract, chelating agent, synergism, chromatography, spectroscopy, shelf-life

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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