USE OF TAHITI LEMON JUICE (Citrus latifolia) AS NATURAL ANTIOXIDANT DURING THE THERMAL PREPARATION OF SARDINES (Sardinella brasilliensis) BY DIFFERENT COOKING METHODSCitrus latifolia, cholesterol oxidation products, natural antioxidant
In recent years, consumers are more concerned about their eating habits, boosting the search functional foods. Marine fish, such as Brazilian sardine (Sardinella brasilliensis), are considered functional foods, due to the presence of high levels of n3- polyunsaturated fatty acids.. However, sardines contain appreciable concentrations of cholesterol which is highly susceptible to lipid oxidation. The formation of cholesterol oxides and the degradation of polyunsaturated fatty acids during thermal processing (thermo-oxidation) play an important role among the factors responsible for the loss of quality and nutritional characteristics of fish. In addition, the consumption of oxidized lipids has been the subject of research in the public health area, due to the correlation between their intake and the development of cardiovascular alterations, induction of pro-inflammatory effects, and other chronic degenerative diseases. Thus, it’s necessary to search for alternative sources of natural antioxidant components that can prevent or minimize the oxidation of marine fish during the thermal preparation. Tahiti lemon (Citrus latifolia) juice is extensively used in the culinary preparation of fish worldwide. In Brazil, lemon Tahiti is a fruit of great commercial relevance and widely available in retail markets. Besides that, studies have shown that lemon juice has antioxidant potential due to the presence of bioactive compounds such as vitamin C, flavones, and flavanones. The aim of this work is to evaluate the protective effect of Tahiti lemon juice on lipid oxidation in thermally prepared sardines using conventional cooking techniques (grill and air fryer).