Capacidade antioxidante total de óleos vegetais comestíveis: determinantes químicos e sua relação com a qualidade dos óleos

The total antioxidant capacity of edible vegetable oils is determined by their physical-chemical composition and might be associated with their quality attributes, especially with bioactivity and possibly with oxidative 174 | V.N. CASTELO-BRANCO & A.G. TORRES Rev. Nutr., Campinas, 24(1):173-187, jan./fev., 2011 Revista de Nutricao stability. The current review presents the fundamentals of total antioxidant capacity assays and critically evaluates the assays applicable to the analysis of oils. The role of the chemical components of edible oils as determinants of total antioxidant capacity is discussed, as well as the potential associations between antioxidant capacity and bioactivity or oxidative stability of the selected oils. Finally, we discuss evidences that, if systematically addressed in future experimental work, the application of total antioxidant capacity assays to vegetable oils might contribute to link the knowledge about their chemical composition with their bioactivity, and possibly with the stability of specific vegetable oils. Thus, antioxidant capacity assays can potentially be used for the quality control of edible oils. Indexing terms: Antioxidants. Plant oils. Lipid peroxidation. Free radicals.