Sea salts flavored with Mediterranean herbs and fruits prevent cholesterol and phospholipid membrane oxidation and cell free radical generation

We evaluated and compared, with respect to normal salt, the antioxidant activity of commercial sea salts flavored with Mediterranean herbs and fruits in chemical models of lipid peroxidation and in cell cultures. Salts flavored with myrtle, rosemary, and a mixture of herbs/plants preserved liposomes from Cu2+-induced oxidation. Methanol extracts obtained from all flavored sea salts significantly reduced the reactive oxygen species generation in Caco-2 cells, while extracts obtained from myrtle, rosemary and mixed herbs/plants salts prevented cholesterol oxidative degradation (140 °C). 1H NMR spectroscopy led to the identification of carbohydrates, organic acids and amino acids in salt extracts. The phenol content of flavored salts was estimated by the Folin-Ciocalteu procedure and HPLC–DAD analyses. The results of this work assess the potential antioxidant role and health benefits of the use of flavored sea salts in foods instead of normal salt.