Abstract

There is significant growth in the market for plant-based products at the commercial level in recent times. One of the biggest challenges of this industry is to find consumer-approved natural preservatives that can control the microorganism proliferation found in plant-based products. In this study, we investigated the antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of several essential oils against Lactobacillus parabuchneri, a lactic acid bacterium found in plant-based mayonnaise. We show that the oregano-derived essential oil had the highest in vitro and in food antimicrobial activity against L. parabuchneri and had minimal impact on the organoleptic properties of mayonnaise. Physicochemical analysis of the oils revealed volatile compounds to be the most prominent ingredients. Additionally, the clove and cinnamon essential oils showed the highest antioxidant activity, which could be attributed to their degrees of phenolic content. These results collectively indicated the potential application of essential oils as preservatives for plant-based mayonnaises. Novelty impact statement The market for plant-based products is growing sustained and consumers are increasingly concerned with quality and demand clean labeling. The present research shows an alternative based on essential oils for the control of lactic acid bacteria in mayonnaise-like dressings to avoid deterioration and offer a clean label.