فهرست نشریات علمی دسترسی آزاد ایران

This study evaluated the effect of flavoring apple vinegar with 250 mg of fresh leaves from Mentha x piperita L. (peppermint) and Mentha longifolia (long-leaf mint) in 25 mL of vinegar. Physicochemical analyses measured total acidity and total soluble solids (TSS), while sensory analyses assessed total phenolic content, flavonoids, and color. Antioxidant activity was tested using the DPPH assay, and antibacterial activity was determined by disk diffusion and Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) testing. Six flavored vinegars were obtained: Starkrimson-flavored with M. piperita (VSKP), Starkrimson-flavored with M. longifolia (VSKL), Golden Delicious-flavored with M. piperita (VGDP), Golden Delicious-flavored with M. longifolia (VGDL), Royal Gala-flavored with M. piperita (VRGP), and Royal Gala-flavored with M. longifolia (VRGL). These vinegars showed a slight decrease in acidity and TSS, with no significant improvement in polyphenols or flavonoids content. The highest antioxidant activity was 95.83% in VSKL. For antibacterial activity, the largest zone of inhibition was 18.14 mm in VGDP against Streptococcus sp., which was also the most susceptible strain, with MIC results ranging from 8.7 μg/mL to 100 μg/mL. These findings confirm the usefulness of flavored apple vinegar as a natural source that inhibits the growth of different pathogenic microbes with prominent antioxidant activity. They also have important scientific implications, as they demonstrate that the functional profile of apple cider vinegar can be selectively modulated through the combined selection of apple cultivar and medicinal plant species. This thereby expands their potential applications in the functional food, nutraceutical, and food safety sectors.