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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Peoria, Illinois » National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research » Renewable Product Technology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #267302
Title: Antioxidant properties of feruloyl glycerol derivatives

Author
item Compton, David - Dave
item Laszlo, Joseph
item Evans, Kervin

Submitted to: Industrial Crops and Products
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/6/2011
Publication Date: 10/20/2011
Citation: Compton, D.L., Laszlo, J.A., Evans, K.O. 2011. Antioxidant properties of feruloyl glycerol derivatives. Industrial Crops and Products. 36:217-221. DOI: 10.1016/j.indcrop.2011.09.009.

Interpretive Summary: This research details the production of two natural plant compounds that have excellent antioxidant properties useful in the skin care and cosmetic industries. Our mission is to develop new, value added uses for commodity crops and crop oils in an effort to mitigate the effects of climate change through the development of domestically derived, bio-based chemicals and products. We have made from soybean oil and ferulic acid, a natural plant compound, two complex, natural plant compounds called feruloyl glycerol (FG) and diferuloyl glycerol (F2G). Previous to this research FG and F2G had been isolated from rice and oat bran only in very small quantities. We demonstrated that the FG and F2G antioxidant activities were similar to other ferulate molecules currently used as UV-absorbing, antioxidant ingredients in skin care formulations. This research will benefit producers by finding new value-added uses for their commodity crops and oils.

Technical Abstract: The natural plant components, 1-feruloyl-sn-glycerol (FG) and 1,3-diferuloyl-sn-glycerol (F2G), were synthesized by the enzymatic esterification of glycerol and soybean oil mono- and diacylglycerols, respectively, with ethyl ferulate. The isolated FG and F2G were examined for their antioxidant activities as free radical scavengers (DPPH assay) and peroxyl lipid oxidation inhibitors (TBARS assay). The H atom transfer kinetics, as monitored by DPPH free radical bleaching, of FG showed that the mono-feruyloyl glycerol acted as a rapid antioxidant (50% reduction of DPPH radical < 5 min) in ethanol solutions while F2G and ferulic acid activity rates were in the range of intermediate antioxidants (50% reduction of DPPH radical in 5-30 min). FG and F2G showed similar activity as the control agent, ethyl ferulate, towards the inhibition of the AAPH-induced peroxyl radical oxidation of surfactant emulsified '-linolenic acid. A slight excess of feruloyl groups was sufficient to completely suppress the formation of secondary lipid oxidation products.