Pimenta biquinho (Capsicum chinense) como antioxidante natural em almôndegas de sardinhas (Sardina pilchardus) congeladas e preparadas termicamente em panelas tipo air fryer

Abstract

Sardine (Sardina pilchardus) is a food of high nutritional value, mainly due to the significant levels of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), which are recognized as crucial components for a healthy diet. In addition, sardines also have high cholesterol content, a compound highly susceptible to lipid oxidation that can lead to the formation of cholesterol oxides commonly recognized as harmful to health. Cholesterol oxides can be formed during preliminary stages of food consumption, such as storage and thermal preparation, compromising their nutritional quality and safety. The use of synthetic antioxidants is the main strategy used to minimize oxidative reactions; however, there is an increasing trend towards the replacement of synthetic additives by natural ones. The plant kingdom is the main source of natural compounds with antioxidant properties, presenting numerous possibilities, such as the biquinho pepper (Capsicum chinense), for the food industry. In this context, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of adding biquinho pepper, in the form of flour, against lipid oxidation in sardine balls stored at -18 ° C (domestic freezing) for 60 days. Biquinho pepper was previously characterized showing a relevant nutritional potential. The presence of essential fatty acids, phytosterols, minerals, and bioactive compounds such as flavonoids, carotenoids, and anthocyanins was determined. Compounds like capsaicin, dihydrocapsaicin, homocapsaicin-I, nordihydrocapsaicin, and β-carotene were identified by liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. The antioxidant activity was verified by in vitro and in vivo analyzes. The in vivo experiments demonstrated that the extract of the biquinho pepper (170 μg/mL) reduced the damage caused by the presence of H202 in the cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. For the study of lipid oxidation, four formulations of sardine balls were prepared: samples without the addition of biquinho pepper and samples with the addition of biquinho pepper at concentrations of 0.5%, 0.75%, and 1%. The effects of adding pepper on the degradation of cholesterol and the formation of cholesterol oxides were evaluated after 15, 30, 45, and 60 days of storage. After 60 days, samples with no addition of pepper had a content of 86.35 ± 1.11 μg/g, while 29.04 ± 0.98 μg/g was found in samples with 1% of pepper. Considering the degradation of fatty acids, the samples were analyzed at the same time, raw and after thermal processing in air fryer. The degradation of important fatty acids was determined during storage and after the heating treatment in all samples. However, biquinho pepper showed a protective effect against the degradation of PUFAs. The PUFAs content decreased from 17.41 ± 0.2 (raw sample, day 60) to 11.16 ± 0.7 g / 100 g (samples treated in the air fryer, day 60), corresponding to a degradation of 35.9%. However, the addition of biquinho pepper (1%) reduced the loss, presenting a content of 13.74 ± 0.4 g/100 g. Therefore, biquinho pepper also showed to be effective in minimizing the degradation of polyunsaturated fatty acids. The results found in this work suggest the application of biquinho pepper in food products as an alternative to the use of synthetic antioxidants, helping to preserve the nutritional aspects of fish products and minimizing the consumption of harmful compounds.