Development of a natural preservative based on catechin and derivatives from plant origin
Conference Paper
Overview
Overview
abstract
The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal)
for financial support to CIMO and L. Barros (SFRH/BPD/107855/2015).
The controversy and ambiguity related with chemical additives, allied to the sporadic
scares, have paved the way for natural additives to gain interest and funding. Today,
most consumers prefer foods added with natural additives, which is seen by the food
industry as an opportunity to find new and more efficient natural‐based solutions.
Polyphenols constitute some of the most interesting groups of natural compounds in
the vegetable kingdom and due to their antioxidant capacity, they have been used to
develop natural additives in the class of preservatives. They can be added as plant
extracts, taking advantage of the synergistic effects between compounds, or as
individual molecules. Catechin, a widely known flavon‐3‐ol, is also known for its
antioxidant activity. The discovery of new alternative sources of natural additives is
also a very important topic, therefore the aim of this study was to obtain an extract
enriched in catechins (natural preservative), from fruits of Arbutus unedo L., as an
alternative source to the already well studied Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze. However,
the catechin stability during the extraction and storage processes requires essential
conditions that need to be examined cautiously. Therefore, a stability study of the
enriched catechin extract powder was performed, evaluating the main affecting
conditions involved in the obtaining and storage of the extract and its stability in
mimitized food matrices. To determine these effects three main variables (time,
temperature and pH) affecting catechin function were considered, being the catechin
content monitored by HPLC‐DAD. Mechanistic and phenomenological equations were
used to describe the responses and optimal conditions for catechin stability. Overall,
with this study the best stability conditions for catechin enriched extracts were
established (information protected by a submitted patent) in order to allow its use as a
natural preserver by the food industry.
