Determination of the antioxidant capacity of active food packagings by in situ gas-phase hydroxyl radical generation and high-performance liquid chromatography–fluorescence detection

An experimental laboratory-made assembly to determine for the first time the antioxidant capacity with respect to hydroxyl (OH) radicals of several new active packagings directly in the materials has been developed. Gas-phase OH radicals are generated by UV-light irradiation of an aqueous H2O2 aerosol. After on-line reaction with up to eight parallel test samples, remaining OH is quantitatively trapped by a salicylic acid solution, and antioxidant capacity is indirectly assessed by HPLC–fluorescence determination of the high sensitive 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid formed. Several natural essential oils as well as active plastic films including in their formulation such oils have been subjected to oxidation. Polymers containing clove and oregano were the most efficient ones (up to 7.2 and 4.7 times, respectively, more antioxidant than blanks), whereas rosemary, citronella and propolis showed average efficiency. On the other hand, active materials containing ferulic acid, quercetin, catechin and thymol, as well as commercial active bags with ethylene-absorption properties, showed limited or none antioxidant protection. Experimental results and full details about experimental assembly are given.