Mechanistic Insights and Analytical Advances in Food Antioxidants: A Comprehensive Review of Molecular Pathways, Detection Technologies, and Nutritional Applications

With rising living standards, the demand for health and nutrition has increased, sparking interest in food antioxidants. Known for neutralizing free radicals, antioxidants protect cells from oxidative damage, potentially aiding in disease prevention and anti-aging. In the food industry, they also enhance preservation and quality. Thus, studying food antioxidant mechanisms, detection methods, and applications holds theoretical and practical value. This review mainly discusses the mechanisms, detection methods, and applications of food antioxidants in nutrition. Firstly, the main research status and development trends of food antioxidants are described. Then, the action mechanisms of food antioxidants are introduced. Food antioxidants can effectively remove free radicals and prevent free radicals from causing damage to human cells, thus delaying aging and preventing disease. Secondly, the methods of detecting food antioxidants are discussed, including liquid chromatography, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, gas chromatography, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. These methods can be used to analyze antioxidant components in various samples of foods, drugs, plants, etc. Finally, the research progress of plant antioxidants is discussed, including the applications of a variety of highly effective antioxidant components extracted from different plants. This review provides the theoretical basis and application reference for the research of food antioxidants.