Many antioxidants can interact to produce synergistic interactions that can more effectively inhibit lipid oxidation in foods. Esterification of rosmarinic acid produces a variety of compounds with different antioxidant activity due to differences in polarity and thus differences in partitioning in oil, water, and interfacial regions of oil-in-water emulsions (O/W). Therefore, rosmarinic acid and rosmarinate esters provide an interesting tool to study the ability of antioxidant to interact in O/W emulsions. In O/W emulsions, rosmarinic acid (R0) exhibited the strongest synergistic interaction with α-tocopherol while butyl (R4) and dodecyl (R12) rosmarinate esters exhibited small synergistic interaction and eicosyl rosmarinate esters (R20) exhibited slightly antagonistic interaction. Fluorescence quenching and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies showed that water-soluble rosmarinic acid (R0) exhibited more interactions with α-tocopherol than any of the tested esters (R4, R12, R20). This was also confirmed in O/W emulsions where R0 altered the formation of α-tocopherol quinone and α-tocopherol increased the formation of caffeic acid from R0. This formation of caffeic acid was proposed to be responsible for the synergistic activity of R0 and α-tocopherol since the formation of an additional antioxidant could further increase the oxidative stability of the emulsion.

The physical location of antioxidants in oil-in-water emulsions can have significant influence on their free radical scavenging activity and ability to inhibit lipid oxidation. We aimed to determine the effect of the surfactant concentration on the partitioning behavior of tocopherols (α, γ, and δ) in oil-in-water emulsions. Tween 20 (0.1, 0.5, and 1%) increased the partitioning of the tocopherols into the aqueous phase via the formation of Tween 20-tocopherol comicelles. Partitioning behavior of antioxidants was dependent upon the number of methyl groups and, thus, polarity of the tocopherols. δ-Tocopherol (one methyl group) exhibited the most partitioning into the aqueous phase, while α-tocopherol (three methyl groups) had the lowest partitioning. Lipid oxidation studies showed that the antioxidant activity of δ- and α-tocopherols was enhanced by adding Tween 20 to oil-in-water emulsions. This work suggests that surfactant micelles could increase the antioxidant activity of tocopherols by changing their physical location.

Association colloids such as phospholipid reverse micelles could increase the rate of lipid oxidation in bulk oils. In addition to phospholipids, other surface active minor components in commercial oils such as free fatty acids may impact lipid oxidation rates and the physical properties of reverse micelles. In this study, the effects of free fatty acids on changes in the critical micelle concentration (CMC) of 1,2‐Dioleoyl‐sn‐glycero‐3‐phosphocholine (DOPC) in stripped corn oil (SCO) were determined by using the 7,7,8,8‐tetracyanoquinodimethane solubilization technique. Different free fatty acids including myristoleic, oleic, elaidic, linoleic and eicosenoic were added at 0.5 % by wt along with the DOPC into the bulk oils. There was no significant effect of free fatty acids with different chain length, configuration and number of double bonds on the CMC value for DOPC in bulk oil. However, increasing concentrations of oleic acid (0.5 to 5 % by wt) caused the CMC value for DOPC in bulk oils to increase from 400 to 1,000 μmol/kg oil. Physical properties of DOPC reverse micelles in the presence of free fatty acids in bulk oils were also investigated by the small angle X‐ray scattering technique. Results showed that free fatty acids could impact on the reverse micelle structure of DOPC in bulk oils. Moreover, free fatty acid decreased pH inside reverse micelle as confirmed by the NMR studies. The oxidation studies done by monitoring the lipid hydroperoxide and hexanal formation revealed that free fatty acids exhibited pro‐oxidative activity in the presence and absence of DOPC. Different types of free fatty acids had similar pro‐oxidative activity in bulk oil.

Phospholipids are important minor components in edible oil that play a role in lipid oxidation. Surface active phospholipids have an intermediate hydrophilic–lipophilic balance value, which allows them to form association colloids such as reverse micelles in bulk oil. These association colloids can influence lipid oxidation since they create lipid–water interfaces where prooxidants and antioxidants can interact with triacylglycerols. In this study, we examined the formation of reverse micelles in a stripped oil system by dioleoyl phosphoethanolamine (DOPE) and the effect of these physical structures on lipid oxidation kinetics. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) of DOPE was approximately 200 µmol/kg oil at 45 °C. Oxidation kinetics studies showed that DOPE was prooxidative when it was above its CMC (400 and 1,000 µM), reducing the lag phase from 14 days (control) to 8 days. The addition of combinations of DOPE and dioleoyl phosphocholine (DOPC) resulted in formation of mixed micelles with a CMC of 80 µmol/kg oil at 45 °C. These mixed micelles were also prooxidative when concentrations (100 and 500 µM) were above the CMC, decreasing the lag phase from 14 to 8 days. These findings provide a better understanding of the role of phospholipids in lipid oxidation of edible oil and could contribute to better antioxidant solutions.

Association colloids formed by surface active minor components play an important role in the oxidative stability of bulk oils. To imitate the formation of nanostructures in refined oils, multiple surface active minor components including phospholipids, free fatty acids, diacylglycerols and sterols were added to stripped corn oil. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) of the mixed components was determined. The impact of mixed minor components at below and above their CMC on oxidative stability of bulk oil and on antioxidant activity of α‐tocopherol and Trolox was investigated. The CMC of the mixed surface active components in bulk oil was 20 µmol/kg oil in the presence of 383 ± 2 ppm of water. 1,2‐Dioleoyl‐sn‐glycero‐3‐phosphocholine (DOPC) played an important role on the formation of association colloids since it was the most important component in forming the association colloids as confirmed by CMC and fluorescence probe studies. The association colloids formed by the mixed components showed prooxidative activity in bulk oil as determined by monitoring the formation of lipid hydroperoxide and hexanal. The activity of α‐tocopherol or Trolox was not changed by mixed components association colloids. These results suggest that association colloids both physically and chemically impacted the oxidative stability and activity of antioxidants in bulk oil.