Studies on spice principles as antioxidants in the inhibition of lipid peroxidation of rat liver microsomes

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are vulnerable to peroxidative attack. Protecting PUFA from peroxidation is essential to utilize their beneficial effects in health and in preventing disease. The antioxidants vitamin E, t-butylhydroxy toluene and t-butylhydroxy anisole inhibited ascorbate/Fe super(2+)-induced lipid peroxidation in rat liver microsomes. In addition, a number of spice principles, for example, curcumin from turmeric, eugenol from cloves and capsaicin from red chillies inhibited lipid peroxidation in a dose-dependent manner.