The Effect of Addition Thymus vulgaris on the Chemical and Microbial Properties of Cupcake Product

This research aimed to study the chemical and microbial properties of the cupcake product after adding thyme extract. Samples were prepared by adding thyme extract (1,2,3,4%) the samples were stored for 90 days at refrigerator temperature. The moisture content of the samples to which thyme extract was added increased compared to the control. The moisture content increased in conjunction with the increase in the concentration of thyme extract, reaching its maximum at a concentration of 4%. The acidity in the cupcake samples fortified with thyme extract also increased in conjunction with the increase in the concentration of thyme extract, reaching 5.41 at a concentration of 4% of thyme extract after 90 days of storage, while the control sample became unfit for consumption. The addition of thyme extract also led to an increase in the value of the total content of phenols, which was accompanied by a decrease in the general count of bacteria as well as yeasts and fungi in the samples fortified with thyme compared to the control during the storage period. The control became unfit for human consumption after 90 days, while the samples fortified with thyme remained fit for human consumption. As for the degree of sensory acceptance of the cupcake samples, the degree of sensory acceptance of these samples decreased compared to the control or remained close to the degree of sensory acceptance of the control. The 1% achieved the highest sensory acceptance score in terms of color, shape, odor, taste and texture, while the 1% achieved the highest acceptance in terms of mouth feel.