Food additive octyl gallate eliminates acrolein and inhibits bacterial growth in oil-rich food

Acrolein (ACR) is predominantly generated from oil-rich food during thermos- processing. Accumulation of ACR in vivo through food consumption has been associated with an increased risk of developing chronic diseases. Here, we investigated the inhibitory effect of octyl gallate (OG), a new food additive tolerant to high-temperature, alkaline and fat-soluble saturations, on the generation of ACR in OG-ACR, oil-Rancimat models, and real-world frying. Our results demonstrate that approximately 80% and 60% of ACR was eliminated by OG in the two models, respectively, and OG-ACR was detected in the deep-frying process using LC-MS/MS. The reaction pathways were clarified by synthesis and OG-ACR and OG-2ACR adduct structural elucidation. Our work reveals that the antibacterial activity of OG-ACR against Escherichia coli (gram-negative) was four times higher than that of OG. Thus, OG can be developed as a promising novel ACR scavenger for high-temperature food processing and an antibacterial agent in food storage.