Natural antioxidants: Control of oxidation in fish and fish products

Seafood is known to contain high amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs); thereby lipid oxidation is the main cause of quality loss in seafood. Lipid oxidation may cause off-flavor as well as lowering of nutritive value, which can be retarded by incorporation of additives having antioxidative properties. The use of synthetic antioxidants has long been practiced in retarding lipid oxidation. However, due to the potential health concerns of synthetic antioxidants, natural antioxidants such as polyphenolic compounds, essential oils, peptides, and microbial antioxidants, have been used as an alternative natural antioxidants to retard lipid oxidation in different seafood systems. This chapter reviews in detail the lipid oxidation in fish products, antioxidants, and their natural sources as well as focuses on the application of these compounds on the prevention of lipid oxidation in different seafood systems.