Müll. Arg. Fruit Juice, Its Phytochemical Contents, Antimicrobial Activity, and Application in Chiffon Cake.

Müll. Arg. or Mao is well-known in Thailand for its use in soft drinks and wine. This study investigated the potential of its fruit juice as a food preservative based on its antimicrobial activity against food-borne pathogens and spoilage. The fruit juice had antibacterial activity against TISTR1527, TISTR2329, DMST17303, TISTR357, Typhimurium DMST562, and TISTR074. The minimum inhibitory concentration ranged from 25 to 100 mg/ml. Of significance was that the juice had excellent antifungal activities against TISTR3135 and ATCC10030. Furthermore, the fruit juice increased the lag time of spore germination of . Analysis of the phytochemical contents of the juice showed that the total phenolic and flavonoid contents were 20.07 mg GAE/g and 3.57 mg QE/g, respectively. In antioxidant activity assay, the juice exhibited moderate DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging and ferric-reducing activities. The addition of 5% fruit juice extended the microbial shelf life of chiffon cake. The treated chiffon cake had a shelf-life of 7 days, compared to 3 days for the untreated control. These results support the possible use of Mao fruit juice as an antimicrobial agent and a natural food preservative.