FP6 priority

1.1.5   Food Quality and Safety

Title of the proposal

Application of ESR technique to detect free radicals in food

Institute

Slovak Acedemy of Sciences, Polymer Institute
Dubravska cesta 9, 842 36 Bratislava, Slovak Republic

Contact

Research subject for a potential FP6 project

Free radicals present in food will be studied using the method of Electron parmagnetic Resonance (EPR). On the base of EPR spectra, the stucture and reactivity of free radicals will be determined in the samples of cereals, vegetables and edible oils. The generation of unstable free radicals will be done with ionising radiation or by thermal decomposition of peroxides and the transfer of radical centres yielding stable radicals will be followed. Kinetic parameters of free radical decay, rate constants and activation energies will be determined. Different types of foodstuffs will be appraised according to their antioxidant properties and possible carcinogenic effect of the free radicals’ presence. The changes in concentration and ch(possibly aracter of free radicals in food will be studied during their production, processing and storage.The goal of this proposal is:
-To monitor and characterise free radicals in foodstuffs
-To gain information about the structure and reactivity of free radicals.-To elaborate a method which enables to evaluate the beneficial effects of radical scavangers and antioxidants in the process of elimination of harmful radicals.
-To suggest a procedure sample preparation and measurement in solid and liquid phase and also of polar an non polar feature.
-Determination of the influence of foodstuff’s contamination during the production, manufacturing, conservation and storage.We would like to focus our attention to the harmful consequences of ionising radiation, photochemical proccess, high temperature, conservation additives and contaminants soil and air..

Recent international cooperation of the research team

Deutsches Kunststoff-Institut, Darmstadt,Germany
Hahn-Meitner-Institut, Berlin,Germany
Institut fur Festkorper- und Werkstofforschung, Dresden,Germany
Laboratoire de Polymeres, Ecole Polytechnique Federale, Lausanne, Swizerland

Proposer´s relevant publications related to the research subject

1) Szőcs, F., Klimova, M., Bartos, J.: An ESR study of the influence of fatigue on the radicals in gamma irradiated polycarbonate. Polym. Degr. Sta., 55, 233 (1997)
2) Szőcs, F.: Changes in ESR spectra of poly(methyl methacralate) used in retrospective dosimetry of radiation accidents. Radiat. Phys. Chem., 51, 181 (1998)
3) Szőcs, F.: Free radicals in gamma-irradiated polyamide 6 form the point of view of chemical ESR-dating. Die Angewandte Makromol. Chem., 263, 31 (1998)
4) Bucsi, A., Szőcs, F.: Kinetics of radical generation in PVC with dibenzoyl peroxide utilizing high pressure technique, Macromol. Chem. Phys., 201, 435 (2000) Szőcs, F.:Walnut Free Radicals Studied by ESR,J Food Sci.,67, 953 (2002)