Inhibition of Cholesterol and Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Oxidation through the Use of Annatto and Bixin in High-Pressure Processed Fish.

Annatto and bixin, the main carotenoid of annatto seeds, were both found to inhibit cholesterol oxidation in minced herring (Clupea harengus) and minced mackerel (Scomber scombrus) during high pressure processing (600 MPa for 10 min) and subsequent chilled storage for 2 wk, a treatment which otherwise increased the content of cholesterol oxidation products above a critical limit for human consumption. Annatto but not bixin reduced the loss of docosahexaenoic acid caused by high pressure processing of herring from 12% to 7%, an effect assigned to antioxidative effects of phenolic compounds in annatto, while bixin as a carotenoid binds to membranes protecting membrane cholesterol.