Food Antioxidants

Minimizing the oxidation of lipids remains one of the most important challenges to extend the shelf-life of food products and reduce food waste. While most consumer products contain antioxidants, the most efficient strategy is to incorporate combinations of two or more compounds, boosting the total antioxidant capacity. Unfortunately, the reasons for observing these effects in food samples are still unclear, and it is common to observe very different responses even for similar mixtures. Aiming to address this problem, we have developed several artificial intelligence models to predict synergistic interactions of antioxidant molecules. Outcomes of these projects will enable a more rational use of these molecules, providing safer alternatives to both producers and consumers. Thus, we are specifically interested in:

• Understanding the chemical patterns and environmental factors that control the behavior of antioxidant mixtures 
• Functional DES, made only with antioxidants, leading to mixtures that feature an increased total antioxidant capacity
• In order to provide safer options, we aim to understand the interactions between natural molecules with antioxidant activity
• Development of advanced tools for the quantification of antioxidants