Investigating the effect of peppermint essential oil and malva sylvestris extract as a natural preservatives on the quality and antioxidant properties of mayonnaise sauce

In order to prevent the growth of pathogenic and spoilage bacteria in food, various chemical preservatives are used. However, due to health problems of these compounds, most food consumers demand the use of natural derived compounds from plant sources as an antimicrobial agent. The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of replacing sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate preservatives with peppermint essential oil and malva sylvestris extract at two levels of 0.5 and 1% and combination of these compounds at two levels of 0.25:0.25% and 0.5:0.5% as well as study the effect of these compounds on chemical (peroxide value, acidity), sensory and microbial properties of mayonnaise. According to the obtained results; samples containing malva sylvestris extract revealed better antioxidant activity, however, samples containing peppermint had better antimicrobial properties. Additionally, by increasing the concentration of peppermint essential oil up to 1%, the sensory scores of mayonnaise samples decreased. Moreover, the results also showed good antioxidant and antimicrobial activity as well as higher sensory scores of mayonnaise samples containing peppermint essential oil and malva sylvestris extract in combination (0.5: 0.5%). In conclusion, mayonnaise sample containing 0.5% peppermint essential oil and 0.5% malva sylvestris extract was determined as the optimal sample with favorable chemical, antioxidant, sensory and microbial properties.