ABEL® Antioxidant testing
Knight Scientific Ltd. offer a variety of unique ABEL® antioxidant tests which measure the capacity of a sample to scavenge free radicals and other reactive oxygen species (ROS). In each test, a specific ROS is generated and used to challenge the sample. We offer a contract testing service. Some of these are also supplied as ABEL test kits which can be carried out in your own laboratory (see test kit page).
In the ABEL® antioxidant assays light is generated by a reaction between the light-emitting protein, Pholasin® and a variety of reactive oxygen species (ROS). When there are antioxidant materials present as well, these will compete with Pholasin leading to less light detected.
Antioxidant materials react differently to different ROS. It is therefore important to determine this property by using appropriate ROS challenges. These include: superoxide, hydroxyl radical, peroxyl radical, singlet oxygen, halogenated oxidants and peroxynitrite.
Manufacturers, growers and suppliers around the world need accurate and detailed information about the antioxidant capacity of their products and raw ingredients.
Whether you need to promote or defend your products in terms of their antioxidant capacity, Knight Scientific Ltd. test kits work with nutraceutical supplements and ingredients such as plant extracts as well as many different types of food and beverages. We have tested the antioxidant capacity of fresh fruits and vegetables as a measure of their quality day to day. We have compared methods of cultivation such as organic, commercial and even biodynamic. We have tested a large number of different plant extracts, processed foods including smoothies, juices, chocolate, coffee, tea and wine. Our vast database of results enables us to tell you (without compromising confidentiality of previous clients) where your product sits amongst others.
ABEL-RAC™
Knight Scientific Ltd. has developed a highly accurate testing method for quantifying the antioxidant capacity of materials per mg. An ABEL-RAC™ (relative antioxidant capacity) mg score can be used to adjust the final amounts of ingredients in repeat formulations as well as reject unsuitable ingredients. In this way products based on natural products can be matched batch to batch. Each ABEL-RAC™ score is specific for the particular ROS used in the challenge. (follow this link for more information)
ANTIOXIDANTS IN FOOD AND BEVERAGES
With the jury still out on antioxidants in food and beverages – some offering apparent health benefits while others are thought to pose risks – manufacturers, growers and suppliers around the world need accurate and detailed information about the antioxidant capacity of their products and raw ingredients.
Whether you need to promote or defend your products in terms of their antioxidant capacity, we at KSL have extensive experience of measuring it in many different types of food and beverages including fresh fruit and vegetables, and processed foods including smoothies, juices, chocolate, coffee, tea and wine.
Using our range of unique ABEL antioxidant tests, we can help you quantify antioxidant or pro-oxidant activity of foods; compare crops produced under different growing conditions and by different agricultural processes, such as organic and non-organic; and compare the different parts of the plants, such as root vs leaf, and of course, how long they have been in transit or waiting to be bought.
Food processors and manufacturers rely on us to help them monitor the effects of food preparation, cooking and storage conditions on the antioxidant capacity of their products as antioxidant activity is a measure of stability. And stability can be used to determine the shelf life of a product.
Our tests are also used to optimise formulations as well as to monitor batch-to-batch uniformity and the effects of manufacturing.
If you’re in the wine industry, we can help you compare wines of different vintages, from different producers and growing regions, and those produced by different agricultural processes including organic and biodynamic, as well as predicting shelf-life.
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We can do the testing for you at our laboratories in Plymouth, or we can provide our accurate ABEL test kits for use on tube or microplate luminometers. We can also sell or hire to you our portable luminometer, the ABELmeter so that you can to do the tests yourself on site, whichever is more convenient for you.
So if you’d like to know how we can help you, give us a call now on (UNITED KINGDOM) 1752 565676 or e-mail us at info@knightscientific.com
We can measure antioxidant capacity and help to optimise product formulations, as well as design trials to test the efficacy of your products or provide you with all you need to carry out the trials yourself. Learn about our unique ABEL® (Analysis By Emitted Light) products, including our go-anywhere ABELmeter™.
