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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Peoria, Illinois » National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research » Functional Foods Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #308509
Title: Antioxidant activity and sensory evaluation of a rosmarinic acid-enriched extract of Salvia officinalis

Author
item Bakota, Erica
item Moser, Jill
item Berhow, Mark
item Eller, Fred
item Vaughn, Steven

Submitted to: Journal of Food Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/9/2015
Publication Date: 3/21/2015
Publication URL: http://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/62214
Citation: Bakota, E.L., Winkler-Moser, J.K., Berhow, M.A., Eller, F.J., Vaughn, S.F. 2015. Antioxidant activity and sensory evaluation of a rosmarinic acid-enriched extract of Salvia officinalis. Journal of Food Science. 80(4):C711-C717.

Interpretive Summary: Oxidation of fats and oils is a major problem for the food industry. When these components oxidize in a food, the food often develops off-flavors or odors. Therefore, antioxidants are needed to suppress this process. In this work, we developed a novel extract of garden sage that is rich in rosmarinic acid. Rosmarinic acid is a compound that has been shown to have health benefits when administered to animals, including the alleviation of cognitive impairment, protection against lung damage, and suppression of inflammation. This extract showed antioxidant activity in a model food system. It was also incorporated into a tea, which was evaluated by a sensory panel to determine whether the extract could be detected in a food product. The panel was able to distinguish samples with the extract from control samples but still rated the enriched tea samples as acceptable in flavor.

Technical Abstract: An extract of S. officinalis (garden sage) was developed using supercritical fluid extraction, followed by hot water extraction. The resulting extract was enriched in polyphenols, including rosmarinic acid (RA), which has shown promising health benefits in animals. The extract contained RA at a concentration of 28.4 mg/g, representing a significant enrichment from the RA content of sage leaves. This extract, as well as pure rosmarinic acid, was incorporated into oil-in-water emulsions as a source of lipid antioxidants. Both treatments were effective in suppressing lipid oxidation. The extract was also evaluated by a trained sensory panel in a tea formulation. While the panel could discriminate among extract-treated and control samples, panelists also demonstrated high acceptability of the sage extract in a tea.