Application of Litsea cubeba Fruit Extract as Natural Preservative in Freshly Extracted Orange Juice

ABSTRACT The North‐East region of India is a host to a variety of underutilized plant species, including Litsea cubeba . It is a fruit widely utilized as a spice and flavor enhancer. This study was performed for the preparation and characterization of the aqueous extract of L. cubeba to use it as a natural food preservative. Thus, it can be a suitable alternative to synthetic preservatives in the food system. The GC–MS analysis of the extract identified Carene , d ‐ Limonene , β‐ Phellandrene , Germacrene D, etc. The DPPH radical scavenging activity was found to be 72.68% ± 7.23%, and the TPC and TFC were 115.54 ± 9.67 mg GAE/100 g and 50.27 ± 6.89 mg QE/100 g, respectively. The antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli showed zones of inhibition of 11.33 ± 1.15 mm and 10.93 ± 1.48 mm, respectively. The freshly extracted orange juice was preserved at 4°C for 14 days by adding 0.2% (v/v) aqueous extract of L. cubeba . The treated juice had a shelf life of up to 7 days, which was 2 days longer than the control sample. Thus, these findings of the study exhibited possibilities for using L. cubeba fruit extract as a beneficial natural alternative to synthetic chemical preservatives in fresh or unpasteurised fruit juice.