Bio-based additives for mayonnaise: Evaluating the effects of pink pepper and biquinho pepper on rheological properties, cholesterol oxidation, and microbiological stability

Abstract

Mayonnaise is a popular creamy sauce highly susceptible to lipid oxidation, which can compromise its quality and promote the formation of harmful cholesterol oxidation products (COPs). Thus, as the growing demand for healthier food products has boosted interest in bio-based additives, this study investigated the effects of incorporating biquinho pepper (BP) and pink pepper (PP), at 3.0, 3.5, and 4.0%, into mayonnaise samples stored under refrigeration for 60 days, evaluating their potential to reduce cholesterol oxidation and influence microbiological stability. First, the peppers’ composition was characterized by liquid chromatography with high resolution mass spectrometry. Phenolic acids and flavonoids were putatively identified in PP, while BP presented carotenoids, glycosylated phenolics, and capsaicinoids. Rheological analyses demonstrated that the natural materials increased the resistance to applied force when mayonnaises were prepared (day 0). Moreover, both BP and PP preserved mayonnaise quality by maintaining pH, water activity, and emulsion stability compared to the control (no additives) during storage. Regarding the microbiological stability of mayonnaise, mold and yeast counts increased from day 30 onward, but adding PP at 3.5 and 4.0% exhibited an antimicrobial effect. The formation of COPs was evidenced by the higher levels found on day 60 compared to the initial values. However, samples containing BP (8.96 ± 0.2 μ g/g for 4.0% BP) and PP (7.99 ±0.1 contents of total COPs than the control (11.48 ± 0.4 μ μ g/g for 4.0% PP) presented lower g/g). Thus, the total COPs levels in samples containing BP and PP were not significantly different from those observed in samples treated with the synthetic additive butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) under the present design, indicating both peppers as promising natural antioxidants for mayonnaise.