Benders'dictionary of nutrition and food technology

32(E-210–213), propionates (E-280–283), hydroxybenzoates (E-214–219) are used in foods.antineuritic vitamin Obsolete name for vitamin b 1 .antioxidant (1) A substance that retards the oxidative rancidityof fats in stored foods. Many fats, and especially vegetable oils,contain naturally occurring antioxidants, including vitamin e (E-306–309), which protect them against rancidity for some time.Synthetic antioxidants include propyl, octyl and dodecyl gallates(E-310–312), butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA, E-320) and butylatedhydroxytoluene (BHT, E-321).See also induction period.(2) Highly reactive oxygen radicals are formed both duringnormal oxidative metabolism and in response to infection,radiation and some chemicals. They cause damage to fattyacids in cell membranes, and the products of this damage canthen cause damage to proteins and dna. The most widelyaccepted theory of the biochemical basis of much cancer, andalso of atherosclerosis and possibly kwashiorkor, is that thekey factor in precipitating the condition is tissue damage byradicals.A number of different mechanisms are involved in protectionagainst, or repair after, oxygen radical damage, involving anumber of nutrients, especially vitamin e, carotene, vitamin cand selenium. Collectively these are known as antioxidantnutrients.antiracchitic Preventing or curing rickets.antiscorbutic Preventing or curing scurvy. vitamin c was originallyknown as the antiscorbutic vitamin.antisialagogues Substances that reduce the flow of saliva.antispasmodic Drugs that relieve spasm of smooth muscle (e.g.intestinal muscle).antispattering agents Compounds such as lecithin (E-322),sucrose esters of fatty acids (E-473) and esters of mono- anddiglycerides (E-472) which are added to frying oils and fats toprevent potentially dangerous spattering. They function by preventingthe coalescence of water droplets.antistaling agents Substances that soften the crumb and retardstaling of baked products; e.g. sucrose stearate (E-473), polyoxyethylenemonostearate (E-430, 431), glyceryl monostearate(E-472), stearoyl tartrate (E-483).antivitamins Substances that interfere with the normal metabolismor function of vitamins, or destroy them. Dicoumarol inspoiled sweet clover inhibits the metabolism of vitamin k, thiaminasein raw fish hydrolyses vitamin b 1 , the drug methotrexateantagonises folic acid action (this is part of its mechanism of