The Inhibitory Effect of Gallic Acid Alkyl Esters on Lipid Oxidation of Intactly Soaked Oyster Meats and Oyster Meat Homogenates during Refrigerated Storage

In this study, the antioxidant effects of gallic acid (GA) and its alkyl esters including methyl gallate (MG), butyl gallate (BG), octyl gallate (OG), and lauryl gallate (LG) in whole oyster meats and oyster meat homogenates during cold storage are investigated. The oxidation degree of lipid is measured by peroxide value (POV), thiobarbituric acid active substances (TBARS), and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) percentage. The results show that the lipid oxidation in the two types of samples is inhibited by GA alkyl esters, and the antioxidant effects first increase and then decrease along with the extension of the chain length, among the esters, BG and OG are relatively more effective. Therefore, it is speculated that the antioxidant capacity of GA alkyl esters may be influenced by hydrophobicity and follows a “cut‐off effect” in whole oyster meats and oyster meat homogenates. Practical application: Seafood is easily oxidized even under cold storage because it contains more PUFA. Antioxidants are widely used to inhibit lipid oxidation. In this study, the antioxidant capacity of GA alkyl esters in whole oyster meats and oyster meat homogenates is investigated, which improves the selection of suitable antioxidants to strengthen the oxidation stability of oyster samples for cold storage. Even when stored at a low temperature of 4 °C, both whole oyster meats and oyster meat homogenates undergo lipid oxidation. In the two complex systems, the antioxidant efficiency of gallic acid alkyl esters all first increases and then decreases with the extension of the alkyl carbon chain length, similar to a “cut‐off effect.”