Natural preservative efficacy of cured betel leaf essential oil for sapota juice: Effect on physicochemical, microbial, and sensory properties

The potential of cured betel leaf essential oil (CLEO) as a natural food preservative was studied in sapota juice and ensuring its acceptable concentration. Physico-chemical properties of CLEO enriched sapota juice showed that the pH, total soluble solid (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), ascorbic acid (AA) significantly increased while TA, AA significantly reduced under the refrigerated condition of 4celcius for 30 days of storage period. Microbial properties of sapota juices showed that CLEO oil-enriched juice exhibited a strong antimicrobial activity compared to control sapota juice samples. The study revealed that EO enriched juice with a higher percentage of chemical compounds like eugenol, estragole, and linalool are responsible for controlling microbial growth. The chemical groups were identified by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The CLEO's best organoleptically acceptable concentration was found to be 0.3 mu l/ml in terms of physicochemical properties, microbial and sensory properties without alteration of quality parameters during the storage period. Practical applications The current research study explores the effect of cured betel leaf essential on sapota fruit juice that is stored at 4celcius for 30 days of storage period and to study the changes in physico-chemical properties as well as antimicrobial activity. The EO is considered as a natural food preservative having antimicrobial activity instead of using synthetic ones. The concentration of betel leaf EO, which was organoleptically acceptable, can enhance the shelf-life period of treated sapota fruit juice. The CLEO-treated juice can be applicable at an industrial level, having several major chemical compounds, such as eugenol, estragole, linalool, etc.