In this study, few experiments were designed to develop a variety of antimicrobials, food preservatives and additives for food storage by using plum extract.
one, chemical components of PME, antibacterial stability of PME of various temperature and p...
In this study, few experiments were designed to develop a variety of antimicrobials, food preservatives and additives for food storage by using plum extract.
one, chemical components of PME, antibacterial stability of PME of various temperature and pH, the minimum concentration, atwhich PME has antibacterial activity.
two, understand how PME affect microbial metabolism by analysing enzyme activities,
three, eqlate the active components of PME and elucidate its chemical structure.
four, evaluate the safety of PME and active components.
five, investigate the effect of PME on freshness and shelf-lite of processed food products.
Results of the study can be described as follows. When its physicochemical characteristics were examined,
one, PEM contained such general ingredients as water(90.1%), coarse protein(0.8%), coarse fat(0.5%), ash(0.6%) and carbohydrate(8.0%). Inorganic ingredients of PEM were mostly K, followed by Ca, Fe, P and Mg in order. The extract also contained total and reducing sugars, respectively 8.7% and 3.9%, which included such free sugars as fructose(1.1%), glucose(1.3%) and sucrose(0.5%). PME contained watersoluble vitamins such as ascorbic acid(1.08 mg%), niacin(0.40 mg%), Flavin(0.05 mg%), Tyamin(0.03 mg%) and β-Caroten(1.22 ppm) and organic acids such as citric acid(0.47 mg%), malic acid(0.43%) and oxalic acid(0.25 mg%). Fatty acids contained in the extract were mostly linolenic acid(3.42%), followed by linoleic acid(1.99%), palmitic acid(0.69%) and oleic acid(0.30%) in the decreasing. PEM was 2.88 in pH, 5.78% in total acid and 29 kcal/100g in calorie. Volatile compounds were divided and identified through GC and GC/MSD to show that PEM contains a good amount of acetic acid(8.3%) and p-cumaric acid(13.1%), both of which are antibacterial substances, and 5-hydrixymethly furfural(32.3%), furfural(8.3%) and 3-methyl-2.3-furandione(2.3%), all of which are disinfecting substances.
two, PME showed a high antibacterial activity at 250 ppm or more. Various types of microorganisms also showed such activity. Antibacterial substances in PME were stable in wide ranges of pH(3 to 11) and temperature(40 to 120℃). Thus theantimicrobial substances in PME were found high in antibacterial activity, wide in the range of antibacterial spectrum and stable in wide ranges of pH and temperature, having the possibility of being developed into an ideal natural antimicrobial. Action modes of PME antibacterial substances were investigated to find that PME are related with two antibacterial substances or more which are not synergic or supplementary with each other, but independent in antibacterial activity.
three, With its antibacterial activity considered, PME is hydrophilic. Such activity can be found in some degree for energy metabolism-related enzyme systems. In this case, however, the main action mode of antibacterial substance may be attributed to cell membrane perturbation. Substances of antibacterial activity found in the plum extract were isoeugenol, nomilin and β-sitosterol.
four, Under the condition of oral administration, LD_(50) of PME was 7,500 mg/kg or over, which was higher than that of existing chemical preservatives, for example, sodium benzoate(2,700 mg/kg) and dehydroacetic acid(1,200∼1,400 mg/kg). In a skin stimulus test, it was found that PME made little stimulation at the concentration of 3,000 ppm.
five, This indicated that it might be a safe additive within the concentration range of food preservatives. When PME was added to agricultural, livestock, marine products and their processed goods, were treated with PME, it was found that PEM was really high in validity, though there were difference in its minimum concentration of antibacterial activity in accordance with the treated material.