Answer to Question #56067 in General Chemistry for Wisdom

Question

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ANTIOXIDANTS AND ANTIBROWING AGENTS

Answer 1

Antibrowning agents prevent browning, which can be due to the enzymatic and non-enzymatic mechanisms. Detailed mechanism depends on the object itself. Some examples – oxidation of phenolic compounds into dark coloured pigments with polyphenol oxidase (PPO) for enzymatic mechanism; Maillard reaction (between aminoacids and reducing sugars on heating) for non-enzymatic compounds. These agents may be of different type, depending on the mechanism – reducing agents, chelating agents, acidulants and enzyme inhibitors.