INHIBITION OF LIPID OXIDATION BY CARNOSINE

The antioxidant activity of carnosine, a β-alanine-histidine dipeptide found in skeletal muscle, was investigated. Carnosine (25 mM) inhibited the catalysis of lipid oxidation by iron, hemoglobin, lipoxidase and singlet oxygen from 35-96% suggesting that the antioxidant mechanism of carnosine is not solely due to metal chelation. Heating the carnosine at 100°C for 15 min had no effect on its ability to inhibit these lipid oxidation catalysts, and the activity of carnosine was not affected over the pH range of 5.1-7.1. Studies using tocopherol-containing liposomes suggest that carnosine and tocopherol do not act synergistically to inhibit lipid oxidation. These data indicate that carnosine has excellent potential for use as a natural antioxidant in processed foods. © 1990 AOCS Press.