1. Intr oduction
Reactive species that initiate reactions that damage
organic molecules of biological importance, are considered to be the cause of several health problems including
cancer, heart diseases and possibly, the process of aging
itself (Halliwell & Gutteridge, 1989). Also, lipid oxidation by radicals results in food deterioration, especially
in high fat foods ( Kanner et al., 1994). Synthetic antioxidants such as butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and
butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) are used as antioxidants. However, demand for natural antioxidants has
been increased due to consumer concerns about the
safety of synthetic antioxidants (Hudson, 1990).
Antioxidants, either as additives or as pharmaceutical
supplements, can terminate radical reactions in vivo,