Toxic Oxygenated alpha,beta-Unsaturated Aldehydes and their Study in Foods: A Review

The oxidation of lipids containing polyunsaturated omega-3 or omega-6 acyl groups, such as docosahexenoic, eicosapentenoic, linolenic, arachidonic or linoleic groups, and of the corresponding fatty acids, generates among other compounds α,β-unsaturated aldehydes supporting different functional group...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Guillén Loren, María Dolores, Goikoetxea Osés, Encarnación
Format: article
Publication Date:2008
Country:España
Institution:Universidad del País Vasco
Repository:Addi. Archivo Digital para la Docencia y la Investigación
OAI Identifier:oai:addi.ehu.eus:10810/72351
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10810/72351
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:4-hydroxy-trans-2-nonenal and oxygenated α,β-unsaturated aldehydes
oxidation
polyunsaturated omega-3 and omega-6 lipids
reactivity
biological activity
pathways of formation
determination methods
occurrence in foods
Description
Summary:The oxidation of lipids containing polyunsaturated omega-3 or omega-6 acyl groups, such as docosahexenoic, eicosapentenoic, linolenic, arachidonic or linoleic groups, and of the corresponding fatty acids, generates among other compounds α,β-unsaturated aldehydes supporting different functional groups containing oxygen, which can be named oxygenated α,β-unsaturated aldehydes (OαβUAs). These compounds can be produced in cells and tissues of living organisms or in foods during processing or storage, and from these latter can be absorbed through the diet. In the last years, OαβUAs are receiving a great deal of attention because they are being considered as possible causal agents of numerous diseases, such as chronic inflammation, neurodegenerative diseases, adult respiratory distress syndrome, atherogenesis, diabetes and different types of cancer. This review deals with the nature of the different kinds of OαβUAs detected until now, their reactivity and consequent biological activity; the several pathways proposed for their formation; the current knowledge about the influence of both oxidative conditions and lipids nature in the rate of formation and yield of each kind of OUAs in edible oils; the methods described until now to determine the presence in foods of some of these compounds, such as 4-hydroxy-trans-2-nonenal, 4-hydroxy-trans-2-octenal, 4-hydroxy-trans-2-hexenal and 4-oxo-trans-2-hexenal; and finally, the levels found of some of them in several foods.