LAUSR

Abstract Compounds with potent antioxidant properties are gaining interest among food manufacturers and consumers alike. With rising concerns about the safety of synthetic substances being added to food products, companies are beginning to search for natural sources of antioxidants. Because essential oils have well studied antioxidant properties they can be used as food preservatives. What is more, mixtures of essential oils prepared by combining individual essential oils may have a more potent antioxidant profile compared to any single essential oil, without compromising the overall antioxidant potential of the mixture. This may be related to increased biological diversity of a mixture. Hence, the purpose of this work was to demonstrate the usefulness of the simplex-lattice mixture design method for the design of essential oil mixtures with potent antioxidant properties, as well as generate a discussion of potential interactions existing between essential oils. Statistical modeling was utilized to design a mixture of three essential oils: marjoram, basil and rosemary. The highest antioxidant activity was obtained for a 75:8:17 percentage composition mixture respectively. However, the proposed composition of the individual ingredients in the design mixture showed a higher percentage of inhibition (90%) compared to the activity of the single component (ol. marjoram 88%) which was the most active. Hence, statistical planning and the development of utility profiles for mixtures of essential oils can be used to predict the optimal composition as well as determine their antioxidant profile.