Authors
E D N S Abeyrathne, X Huang, D U Ahn
Published in
Advances in food and nutrition research. Volume 122. Pages 287-324. Epub Aug 15, 2026.
Abstract
During food processing and storage, lipids and proteins are prone to oxidative degradation. This deterioration is caused by reactions with reactive oxygen species or with secondary compounds formed during oxidation. The mechanisms of lipid and protein oxidation share several similarities, and both processes can negatively influence the functional, nutritional, and sensory quality of food products. Lipid oxidation in foods has been recognized as a major quality issue. Still, protein oxidation in food systems has been largely ignored because it has been considered a secondary reaction to lipid oxidation. Both lipid and protein oxidation can influence food quality, including the production of off-odor and off-flavor, color and texture changes, and decreased protein functionality and consumer acceptance, and are involved in the pathogenesis of various diseases such as atherosclerosis, inflammation, cellular dysfunction, aging, neurodegenerative diseases, cancers, and other health conditions in humans and animals. The consumption of oxidized lipids and protein products has raised increasing concern due to their potential roles in the development of various chronic diseases in humans. Lipid and protein oxidation produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) and a variety of secondary oxidation products, such as aldehydes, ketones, and epoxides, which can interact with biological molecules and disrupt normal physiological functions. However, lipid oxidation products tend to promote protein oxidation, and their impact is more detrimental than that of protein oxidation. Consuming foods with oxidized lipids and proteins can increase oxidative stress in the body. Because the functions of proteins in biological systems are highly specific, oxidative modifications can compromise protein function and lead to pathological consequences. The oxidation processes, products, and mechanisms of lipids are well elucidated. However, details on protein oxidation, including peptide and amino acid oxidation, side chain degradation/cleavage and their end products, and the structural (primary, secondary, and tertiary) modifications of proteins on functionality, nutritional, digestibility, product quality changes, and the biological and health effects of consuming protein oxidation products need further study.
PMID:
42711038
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 09 Sep 2026.
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