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Antioxidant Capacity of Flaxseed Products: The Effect of In vitro Digestion

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Abstract

This study evaluated the effect of in vitro digestion of flaxseed products on Folin-Ciocalteu reagent reducing substances (FCRRS), its antioxidant capacity and prevention of oxidative DNA damage in human monocyte cell line U937. Flaxseed protein isolate was obtained from defatted flaxseed meal and the protein hydrolysate with high antioxidant capacity was obtained from hydrolysis of the protein isolate with Alcalase in a two factor central composite rotatable design (pH 8.5 and enzyme: substrate 1:90, w/w). The FCRRS content and antioxidant capacity measured by FRAP and ORAC in aqueous and 70 % methanol extracts were the highest in protein hydrolysate, followed by protein isolate, while the defatted meal showed the lowest values. After in vitro gastrointestinal digestion, the FCRRS content of protein isolate and hydrolysate reached similar values, however the hydrolysate had the highest antioxidant capacity, measured by FRAP while the isolate had the highest ORAC values. The defatted meal showed the lowest capacity in all assays (p < 0.05). The hydrolysate did not protect against DNA damage induced by H2O2 in U937 cells under the conditions of the present study. The results suggest that flaxseed protein isolate and hydrolysate are potential functional food ingredients with antioxidant capacity.

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Abbreviations

CCRD:

Central composite rotatable design

DFM:

Defatted flaxseed flour

FCRRS:

Folin-Ciocalteu reagent reducing substances

FPI:

Flaxseed protein isolate

FPH:

Flaxseed protein hydrolysate

FRAP:

Ferric reducing antioxidant power

GI:

Gastrointestinal

ORAC:

Oxygen radical absorbance capacity

PDFM:

Partially defatted brown flaxseed meal

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank FAPESP (2009/51580-1 and 2010/52680-7) for the financial support and CAPES for the scholarship granted to F.G.D. Silva.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Food and Nutrition, Faculty of Food Engineering, University of Campinas – Unicamp, R. Monteiro Lobato, 80, PO Box 6121, Campinas, SP, Brazil, 13083-862

    F. G. D. Silva & F. M. Netto

  2. School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland

    Y. O’Callagahan & N. M. O’Brien

Authors
  1. F. G. D. Silva
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  2. Y. O’Callagahan
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  3. N. M. O’Brien
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  4. F. M. Netto
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Correspondence to F. M. Netto.

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Silva, F.G.D., O’Callagahan, Y., O’Brien, N.M. et al. Antioxidant Capacity of Flaxseed Products: The Effect of In vitro Digestion. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 68, 24–30 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11130-012-0329-6

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