Abstract
New hydrophobic derivatives of cinnamic and hydroxycinnamic (ferulic and cumaric) acids obtained by chemical esterification of the carboxylic group with C10 linear alcohol were studied to evaluate their antioxidant capacity toward the superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide in physiological buffer and in extra-virgin olive oil (EVO) or Nigella sativa oils. Results showed that cumaric and ferulic acids have higher antioxidants activity against superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide than the other compounds. Cumaric acid and its C10-ester derivative were selected to be incorporated into EVO or Nigella sativa oil-based emulsions. The prepared emulsions had a comparable particle size distribution (in the range of 3–4 µm) and physical stability at least up to three months. Nigella sativa oil-based emulsions loaded with cumaric acid or its C10-ester showed a higher capacity to scavenger superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide than EVO oil-based emulsions. In conclusion, cumaric acid or its C10-ester could promote the antioxidant properties of Nigella sativa oil when formulated as emulsions.
Highlights
Literature is rich in studies that demonstrate the key antioxidant capacity of Nigella sativa oil, related to the high content of thymoquinone, in animals and humans at different experimental conditions [16,32,33], the association of this oil in formulations with cinnamic and hydroxycinnamic acids results to be a novelty within the field of antioxidants
Ferulic acid and cumaric acid demonstrate to be more active with respect to cinnamic acid as antioxidants
Nigella sativa oil-based emulsions loaded with cumaric acid or its
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Cinnamic and hydroxycinnamic (e.g., ferulic, cumaric, and caffeic) acids are naturally occurring chemical compounds belonging to the large family of bioactive polyphenols. These compounds are widely distributed in plants, and they represent one-third of phenolderivatives assumed by humans with the diet [1]. Cinnamic and hydroxycinnamic acids have received increasing interest in different fields, including nutraceutics, cosmetics, and biomedicine, since they are potent antioxidant compounds [2,3]
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