Oxidative properties of lactoferrins of different iron-saturation in an emulsion consisting of metmyoglobin and cod liver oil

Lactoferrins (LFs) at iron-saturation 8 (native) and 100%, respectively, were present in an oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion composed of 5% (w/v) cod liver oil (CLO) and metmyoglobin (metMb) in 50 mM phosphate buffer at pH 6.0. Initially both LFs acted as antioxidants and reduced initial peroxide formation, but after 48 h holo LF revealed the most peroxides but the least trienes. Native LF (0.8 mg/ml) gave the highest (p < 0.05) amounts of lipid derived volatiles after 48 h incubation at 4 °C. Both LFs gave similar increases in adducts to metMb with time. The most extensive aggregation induced by radicals or peroxides was found for native LF. The results pointed at reactions at the O/W interphase as highly influential for lipid and protein oxidation kinetics. Added ascorbic acid (1 mM), however, behaved as an antioxidant in the pro-oxidative oil-in-water emulsion system and prevented lipid degradation and protein adductation as well as protein aggregation.