Application of Eleutherine americana crude extract in homemade salad dressing.

Crude extract from the herb Eleutherine americana was investigated for its antistaphylococcal activity both in vitro and in a food system. The extract activity against Staphylococcus aureus was better during incubation at 35 degrees C than at 10 and 4 degrees C. The extract exhibited excellent stability in response to heat and pH treatments. The extract was incorporated into homemade salad dressing and evaluated for its antibacterial, physical, chemical, and sensory properties. A more than 1-log reduction in S. aureus counts was observed compared with the control. Examination of lipid oxidation revealed that the extract could retard the formation of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances in the salad dressing. The magnitude of the storage changes were minimal, and there were no significant differences in the appearance, color, taste, and overall acceptability ranking between samples supplemented with E. americana extract and the control samples. Based on all sensory attributes, the sensory evaluation from 0 to 16 days indicated that products with each extract concentration were acceptable. The extract from E. americana is a promising novel additive that can be used to improve the quality and safety of homemade salad dressing.