Tarragon phenolic extract as a functional ingredient for pizza dough: Comparative performance with ascorbic acid (E300)

This work explored the potential of a tarragon hydroethanolic extract to be used as a functional preserver ingredient in pizza dough. Ferulic acid hexoside and quercetin-3-O-rutinoside were the most abundant polyphenols found in the extract, which also showed high antioxidant capacity, cytotoxicity for human tumour cell lines, especially HeLa (cervical carcinoma), and antimicrobial activity particularly for antibiotic resistant bacteria and Penicillium species. The extract was incorporated in pizza dough (fresh and baked) and its performance was compared with ascorbic acid (E300) for two storage times (initial and after 5 days in the fridge). Control samples (samples with no additives) were also used as reference. Briefly, tarragon extract demonstrated the ability to preserve polyunsaturated fatty acids and reduce water loss, and maintained the antioxidant capacity during baking avoiding browning. Effectively, the incorporation of tarragon extract in pizza dough could be a viable process to achieve functional purposes.