Antioxidant activity of resveratrol ester derivatives in food and biological model systems

Resveratrol (R) was lipophilized by esterification in order to facilitate its application in a wide range of products and to possibly enhance its bioactivity. Twelve resveratrol derivatives were prepared using acyl chlorides of different chain length (C3:0-C22:6) and their antioxidant activities assessed. While resveratrol showed the highest antioxidant activity in oil-in-water emulsion, its derivatives (RC6:0, RC8:0, RC10:0, RC12:0, RC16:0) showed better antioxidant activity in a bulk oil system. Resveratrol esters RC20:5n-3 (REPA) and RC22:6n-3 (RDHA) showed the highest antioxidant activity when added to ground meat. Meanwhile, resveratrol derivatives (RC3:0-RC14:0) had better hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity than resveratrol. All test compounds except resveratrol and REPA inhibited copper-induced LDL oxidation. Moreover, test compounds effectively inhibited hydroxyl radical induced DNA scission. These results suggest that resveratrol derivatives could potentially serve as functional food ingredients and supplements for health promotion and disease risk reduction.