article · American Journal of Food Science and Technology
Natural plant extracts of ginger, garlic, and lemon, applied individually and in combinations at one per cent concentrations, offer an effective method for preserving tomato juice. In experimental trials comparing these extracts against untreated juice and juice preserved with synthetic sodium benzoate, the botanical treatments yielded total phenolic contents ranging from 1.50 to 2.80 mgGAE per 100 ml and total flavonoid contents from 1.02 to 1.22 mgQE per 100 ml. Antioxidant activity measured by ferric reducing antioxidant power spanned from 1.23 to 4.76 mgAAE per 100 ml. During storage testing, pH and total soluble solids decreased while total titratable acidity and microbial numbers increased. Across the testing period, microbial counts in the treated samples remained within thresholds recommended by the International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods, supporting both shelf stability and nutrient retention.
Food processors and consumers increasingly seek natural alternatives to synthetic chemical preservatives such as sodium benzoate. Demonstrating that common botanical extracts like ginger, garlic, and lemon can preserve tomato juice provides a practical route to healthier, clean-label beverages. This strategy maintains microbial safety within recognised food standards while boosting the antioxidant and nutritional value of stored products.
This research provides an applied and tested approach relevant to fruit juice processors, beverage manufacturers, and natural preservative producers seeking plant-based alternatives to sodium benzoate. The technology relies on accessible botanical extracts. However, because the results reflect laboratory-scale storage tests, moving toward market application will require scale-up processing trials, consumer sensory acceptance testing, and formal stability verification under commercial packaging conditions.
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Tomato juice was successfully produced and treated with 3 different plant extracts and their combinations. The study had 9 samples, Sample TJ being the control (without preservative), and sample TSB (with sodium benzoate). The remaining samples were treated with 1 % of the extracts and their combinations as follows: TZ (1 % Ginger), TA (1 % Garlic), TC (1 %Lemon), TZA (1 % Ginger+Garlic), TZC (1 % Ginger+Lemon), TAC (1 % Garlic+Lemon) and TZAC (1 % Ginger+Garlic+Lemon). The samples were analyzed for phytochemical and antioxidant activity and also subjected to storage studies, during which pH, TTA, TSS, and microbial counts were evaluated. The total phenolic content ranged from 1.50 to 2.80 mgGAE / 100 ml, the total flavonoid content ranged from 1.02 to 1.22 mgQE / 100 ml, and the FRAP values ranged from 1.23 to 4.76 mgAAE / 100 ml. For storage studies, pH and TSS decreased with storage time while TTA and microbial load increased accordingly. However, the microbial load of the samples was within the limits recommended by ICMSF. It can be concluded that tomato juice can be conveniently preserved with natural plant extracts which give the juice improved nutrients, antioxidant activity, and a relatively stable shelf life.
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DOI: 10.54536/ajfst.v4i1.3929
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