Arbutus unedo L. and Ocimum basilicum L. as sources of natural preservatives for food industry: A case study using loaf bread

•Strawberry tree fruits and basil leaves ethanolic extracts showed strong bioactivities.•Natural extracts and synthetic additives were incorporated in loaf bread for comparison.•Natural extracts provided a higher antioxidant activity than the synthetic additives.•Strawberry tree and basil extracts can be used in the development of new breads.

The aim of this work was to demonstrate the antioxidant potential, antimicrobial and the absence of toxicity of the ethanol extracts obtained from strawberry tree fruits and basil leaves, using optimal conditions. Subsequently, the extracts rich in catechin, from strawberry tree fruits, and rosmarinic acid from basil leaves, were incorporated as natural ingredients in loaf bread samples, with two objectives: to functionalize bread, introducing bioactive properties; and as natural ingredients with preservation capacity. Three more groups: control (without addition of any additive), bread incorporated with ascorbic acid - E300 and bread incorporated with potassium sorbate - E202 and for each group were 3 different times were analyzed: immediately after incorporation and after 3 and 7 days. Both natural extracts presented antioxidant activity, without toxicity up to the maximal tested dose (400 μg/mL), and the main compounds present were catechin and rosmarinic acid, respectively. The breads incorporated with the natural extracts, especial basil, presented a higher antioxidant capacity than the loaf breads incorporated with ascorbic acid and potassium sorbate. Overall, the obtained results demonstrate that these extracts could be used in the development of new bread replacing the synthetic preservatives, without interfering with nutritional characteristics.