Antioxidants and lipid oxidation in foods - a critical appraisal.

Lipid oxidation is a process, which results in rancidity and deterioration of fats posing a major problem in food industry and on biological systems. Many synthetic antioxidants are used in food systems to inhibit lipid oxidation. However, the safety concerns about synthetic antioxidants have led to spurt of research on antioxidants from natural resources, particularly those derived from plant sources. Findings from some such studies on potent aromatic plants having good antioxidant potentials should be pooled to be exploited in food as well as in biological system as a safe alternative to synthetic antioxidants. An attempt has been made in the present review to critically appraise the potentials and safety aspects of synthetic and natural antioxidants for use in food systems.