Proteins can inhibit lipid oxidation by biologically designed mechanisms (e.g. antioxidant enzymes and iron-binding proteins) or by nonspecific mechanisms. Both of these types of antioxidative proteins contribute to the endogenous antioxidant capacity of foods. Proteins also have excellent potential as antioxidant additives in foods because they can inhibit lipid oxidation through multiple pathways including inactivation of reactive oxygen species, scavenging free radicals, chelation of prooxidative transition metals, reduction of hydroperoxides, and alteration of the physical properties of food systems. A protein's overall antioxidant activity can be increased by disruption of its tertiary structure to increase the solvent accessibility of amino acid residues that can scavenge free radicals and chelate prooxidative metals. The production of peptides through hydrolytic reactions seems to be the most promising technique to form proteinaceous antioxidants since peptides have substantially higher antioxidant activity than intact proteins. While proteins and peptides have excellent potential as food antioxidants, issues such as allergenicity and bitter off-flavors as well as their ability to alter food texture and color need to be addressed.

Transglutaminase-catalyzed cross-linking of interfacial proteins in oil-in-water has been shown to influence physical stability, but little is known about how this reaction impacts lipid oxidation. Therefore, this study evaluated the influence of transglutaminase-induced interfacial protein cross-linking on the oxidative stability of casein-stabilized menhaden oil-in-water emulsions. Interfacial casein in menhaden oil-in-water emulsions cross-linked by transglutaminase (pH 7.0) produced a cohesive interfacial protein layer that could not be removed from the emulsion droplet by Tween 20. Although transglutaminase cross-linked the interfacial casein, these emulsions did not show increased oxidative stability when compared to untreated emulsions as determined by measurement of lipid hydroperoxides and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances. These results indicate that increasing the cohesiveness of proteins at the interface of oil-in-water emulsions does not inhibit lipid oxidation. This could be due to the ability of prooxidative species such as iron to diffuse through the cross-linked protein layer where it could promote the decomposition of lipid hydroperoxides into free radicals that could oxidize unsaturated fatty acids in the emulsion droplet core.

The purpose of this research was to better understand the mechanisms by which proteins affect the rates of lipid oxidation in order to develop protein-stabilized emulsion delivery systems with maximal oxidative stability. This study evaluated the affect of pH and emulsifier concentration on the stability of cumene hydroperoxide in hexadecane-in-water emulsions stabilized by beta-lactoglobulin (beta-Lg). Emulsions prepared with 0.2 wt % beta-Lg (at pH 7.0) showed a 26.9% decrease in hydroperoxide concentrations 5 min after 0.25 mM ferrous ion was added to the emulsion. EDTA, but not continuous phase beta-Lg, could inhibit iron-promoted lipid hydroperoxide decomposition. Lipid hydroperoxides were more stable to iron-promoted degradation at pH values below the pI of beta-Lg, where the emulsion droplet would be cationic and thus able to repel iron away from the lipid hydroperoxides. Heating the beta-Lg-stabilized emulsions to produce a cohesive protein layer on the emulsion droplet surface did not alter the ability of iron to decompose lipid hydroperoxides. These results suggest that proteins at the interface of emulsion droplets primarily stabilize lipid hydroperoxides by electrostatically inhibiting iron-hydroperoxide interactions.