London, (IANS)
Some components of the onion have antioxidant and
anti-microbial properties, making it possible to use it
to preserve food, says a new study.
'The
antioxidant and anti-microbial properties of the raw
onion make it a good candidate for use in food
preservation,' says researcher Jonathan Santas from the
department of nutrition and bromatology at the
University of Barcelona (UB).
Santas
co-authored the study at the department of agrifood
engineering and biotechnology at Polytechnic University
of Cataluna (UPC).
The study
shows that the flavonoids of onion, in addition to
having beneficial properties for health, increase the
life of foods, and so 'they are a natural alternative to
artificial additives used in food industry'.
The results
confirm that the yellow variety in particular is 'a good
source of these types of substances and there is a
positive correlation between the presence of flavonoids
and their antioxidant capacity.
'The onion
can be effective for delaying lipid oxidation in
emulsions of oil and water - a model system of foods
like margarines and mayonnaises - and it inhibits the
growth of micro-organisms that alter foods,' Santas
says.
The
scientific team analysed onions of the white and yellow
varieties.
The
researchers demonstrated that phenolic compounds in the
onion prevent the development of bacteria,
micro-organisms typically associated with the
deterioration of foods, said an UB release.
Previous
studies indicate that flavonoids have beneficial effects
for health due to their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory,
cardio-protective, vasodilatory and anti-carcinogenic
properties.
The study
was published in the International Journal of Food
Science and Technology.
