Peptides as Antioxidants in Emulsions: Effects of pH and Composition

Emulsions, particularly oil-in-water emulsions, are widely used in industries such as food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. However, lipid oxidation presents a major challenge, limiting shelf life and degrading product quality. Emulsions are particularly vulnerable to oxidation due to the large interfacial area between oil droplets and the aqueous phase, which promotes interactions between lipids and pro-oxidant species.

Synthetic antioxidants, such as BHT and EDTA, are commonly used to inhibit lipid oxidation. However, growing consumer demand for natural, clean-label products has led to increased interest in natural antioxidants. Among these, peptides—either as purified compounds or within protein hydrolysates—have gained considerable attention for their antioxidant potential.

This presentation explores the potential of peptides as antioxidants in emulsions, addressing key questions based on current literature and experimental findings in food systems. Which amino acids contribute most significantly to antioxidant activity? How do peptide structure and sequence influence their antioxidant efficacy? Can predictive models be employed to discover new antioxidant peptides? How do interactions with other components in the food matrix and factors like pH influence their performance? Lastly, what are the challenges associated with using peptides as antioxidants?