Impact of naturally derived preservatives in sausage during refrigerated storage

In the present study, we developed a general-purpose preservative using natural extracts to reduce the residual toxicity and negative health effects of chemical preservatives. This study was conducted to improve the yield of optimized extracts of <i>Psidium guajava</i>, <i>Ecklonia cava</i>, and <i>Paeonia japonica</i> (Makino) Miyabe & Takeda extracts, which have already proven to exert antibacterial effects and verify their effectiveness in meat products. Ultrasonic extraction, a well-known eco-friendly extraction method, was performed to confirm the extraction yield, content of bioactive compounds in the extract, and antimicrobial activity and thus improve the extraction yield of the ethanol extract. In addition, ultrasound extraction was applied to sausages to confirm quality characteristics, including sensory evaluation. The extraction yield increased by 56.8% (<i>P. guajava</i>), 182.0% (<i>E. cava</i>), and 235.0% (<i>Paeonia japonica</i>) compared to the ethanol obtained through ultrasonic extraction of three types of natural products. Furthermore, a 32.53% increase in the extraction yield for the mixture extract was obtained through ultrasonic extraction. The MIC and MBC results for foodborne pathogens to measure the antimicrobial activity demonstrated that extracts obtained through ultrasonic extraction exhibited increased antimicrobial activity against certain pathogens. Total plate counts, Coliform, and <i>Escherichia coli</i> were not detected in all treatments in the sausage storage experiment (4 weeks). Although no significant difference was noted in the VBN of sausages among all treatments during the storage period (4 weeks), TBARS during storage was significantly lower in the natural extract treatments. Among the sensory characteristic evaluations, the overall acceptance scores were significantly higher for <i>P. guajava</i>, <i>E. cava</i>, and <i>Paeonia japonica</i> (Makino) Miyabe & Takeda extracts than for the grapefruit seed extract. Altogether, the extraction yield of <i>P. guajava</i>, <i>E. cava</i>, and <i>Paeonia japonica</i> (Makino) Miyabe & Takeda extracts was improved by about 32.53%, and almost the same effect was confirmed in the sausage application test.