Comparing the antioxidant activity of gallic acid and its alkyl esters in emulsion gel and non-gelled emulsion

In this study, antioxidant capacity of gallic acid and its alkyl esters in emulsion gel was compared with non-gelled emulsion to determine the role of mass transport on their efficiency. Lauryl gallate exhibited higher antioxidant activity than gallic acid and ethyl gallate in emulsion gel and non-gelled emulsion. In emulsion gel, the synergistic effects in the initiation stage for gallic acid + ethyl gallate, gallic acid + lauryl gallate, and ethyl gallate + lauryl gallate were 78.28 %, 68.46 %, and 60.04 %, respectively. In non-gelled emulsion, the synergistic effects were 52.78 %, 39.02 %, and 22.30 %, respectively. In both emulsion gel and non-gelled emulsion, the longest induction period and propagation period was observed in samples containing gallic acid + lauryl gallate. The effectiveness of antioxidants in emulsion gel was lower than non-gelled emulsion. This reduction in antioxidant activity can be due to the limited ability of antioxidants to be transferred to the interfacial area.