Synergistic Antimicrobial Composition Using Rosemary Extract and Buffered Vinegar
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current antimicrobial solutions for food products often require high concentrations, which negatively impact organoleptic properties due to strong flavors or odors, and there is a need for effective 'clean-label' alternatives that can synergistically inhibit foodborne pathogens at lower concentrations.
Innovation Solution
Combining rosemary extract or rosemary essential oil with cultured dextrose and buffered vinegar, which exhibit synergistic antimicrobial effects against Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar typhimurium, allowing for effective inhibition at lower concentrations and minimizing flavor impact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high concentrations of single antimicrobial agents (plant extracts, essential oils, cultured dextrose, or buffered vinegar) are used to effectively inhibit foodborne pathogens, then antimicrobial efficacy is improved, but organoleptic properties (flavor and odor) deteriorate due to strong flavors and odors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple antimicrobial agents (rosemary extract/essential oil, cultured dextrose, and buffered vinegar) into a synergistic mixture. This combination allows each component to work together at lower concentrations than would be required individually, thereby maintaining pathogen inhibition effectiveness while reducing the strong flavors and odors that would otherwise occur at higher concentrations of single agents.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite antimicrobial formulation comprising multiple natural agents with different mechanisms of action. This composite approach leverages the complementary properties of each component (phenolic compounds from rosemary, antimicrobial peptides and organic acids from cultured dextrose, and buffered acetic acid from vinegar) to achieve enhanced efficacy at reduced dosage levels, thus preserving organoleptic quality.
2Reliability
If high concentrations of plant extracts are used to achieve antimicrobial activity, then pathogen inhibition is improved, but the organoleptic properties of the food product deteriorate due to negative flavor impact
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges plant extracts (rosemary extract or essential oil) with other antimicrobial agents (cultured dextrose and buffered vinegar) in a synergistic combination. This allows the plant extract to be used at lower concentrations than would be required alone, thereby achieving effective pathogen inhibition while minimizing the strong herbal flavors and odors that would otherwise negatively impact the food product's organoleptic properties.
3Reliability
If high concentrations of essential oils are used to achieve antimicrobial effects, then antimicrobial activity is improved, but organoleptic properties deteriorate due to high flavor profile
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines essential oils (particularly rosemary essential oil) with cultured dextrose and buffered vinegar in a synergistic formulation. This combination enables the essential oil to be applied at lower concentrations that still achieve effective antimicrobial activity against foodborne pathogens, thereby avoiding the strong, penetrating flavors and odors that would otherwise dominate and negatively impact the food product's organoleptic properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention formulates a composite antimicrobial system where essential oils work in concert with other natural agents. This composite approach distributes the antimicrobial burden across multiple components, allowing the essential oil concentration to be reduced to levels that preserve the food's natural flavor profile while maintaining effective pathogen inhibition.
4Reliability
If high concentrations of buffered vinegar are used to achieve antimicrobial activity, then pathogen inhibition is improved, but organoleptic properties deteriorate due to vinegar or acidic notes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges buffered vinegar with rosemary extract or essential oil and cultured dextrose in a synergistic combination. This allows the buffered vinegar to be used at lower concentrations that still achieve effective pathogen inhibition, thereby minimizing the vinegar-like or acidic notes that would otherwise be imparted to the food product and negatively impact its organoleptic properties.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The combination of rosemary extract, cultured dextrose, and buffered vinegar demonstrates synergistic antimicrobial activity, effectively suppressing the growth of spoilage microorganisms and pathogens in food products, thereby reducing the negative flavor impact and maintaining product quality.
Implementation Method 1
Surprising synergies were observed when rosemary extract or rosemary essential oil, cultured dextrose, and buffered vinegar were combined. Combinations of two and/or three of these antimicrobials all showed synergistic antimicrobial effect against Salmonella entericia subsp. enterica serovar typhimurium.
Implementation Method 2
The cultured dextrose is composed of various fermentation metabolites where the main active components are antimicrobial peptides and organic acids. The microorganisms involved in the fermentation are mainly probiotic bacteria, such as propionic acid (including Propionibacterium freudenreichii) and lactic acid bacteria (including Lactococcus lactis).
Implementation Method 3
Plant secondary metabolites are natural compounds that are known for their plant defense mechanisms and possess multiple biological activities including antimicrobial effects. They include alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, terpenes, quinones, and resins.
Implementation Method 4
Essential oils are mixture of volatile compounds extracted from plant biomass and have been identified as natural antimicrobial agents where the activity is mainly understood to arise from phenolic components.
Implementation Method 5
Buffered vinegar is known to inhibit the growth of foodborne pathogens as well as common spoilage organisms.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to novel synergistic compositions comprising known “clean-label” antimicrobial substances as well as processes for stabilizing food substances against typical food borne spoilage microorganisms and/or pathogens. It is a further object of the invention to provide novel combinations of “clean label” antimicrobials which may be employed in such a process.